


Dark Blue

by Talking_Bird



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Canon Continuation, Canon-Typical Violence, Corrupt!Lance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Free-indirect discourse, Garrison flashbacks, Kidnapping, Lance (Voltron)-centric, M/M, Mind Control, Mutual Pining, POV Multiple, Quintessence used as a mind control device, Reunions, Self-Esteem, Slow Burn, Team as Family, broganes, canon continuation of season 3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2018-12-20 18:17:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 126,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11926512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talking_Bird/pseuds/Talking_Bird
Summary: As the war between the Galra and Voltron continues, Lotor has a plan to tip the odds in his favor including a well-placed android, the power of quintessence, and a kidnapped Paladin.Good thing Lance was never the complacent type.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everybody! My name is Jessie and I'm gonna try and make you feel some stuff today.
> 
> So couple things about this chapter:  
> (1) We're just setting the scene right now, it's gonna take a couple chapters before we get to the real meaty stuff  
> (2) Lotor and the gang refer to Keith as "Black Paladin", Lance as "Red Paladin", and Allura as "Blue Paladin"  
> (3) This is mostly canon compliant, but some liberties have been taken  
> (4) This fic was inspired by [caseydambro](http://caseydambro.tumblr.com/)'s incredible corrupt!Lance au [here](http://caseydambro.tumblr.com/post/163915119950/why-not-join-a-team-who-thinks-youre-worth) and [here](http://caseydambro.tumblr.com/post/164122148605/corrupted-lance-pt-2-bc-i-love-him)  
> (5) Huge shoutout to my long, lost buddy [Emma](http://violaeadde.tumblr.com/) for being my beta and emotional support. Brooklyn 99 brought us together and Voltron brought us...back together? THANK YOU!! <3
> 
> UPDATE: Links actually work now lol
> 
> Please enjoy!

**Dark Blue**

_Chapter_ _One_

The Paladins of Voltron were eating. Just eating and conversing over some green, shapeless food without a care in the world. They all broke out into joyous laughter after the big one wearing a mustard headband made some sort of joke.

Lotor sat facing a large monitor on the command deck of his large Galra ship with a bored expression. His right leg was fully crossed over his left. His elbows sat firmly on the armrests of his chair and his fingers were intertwined, creating a perch for his chin. His eyes, unflinchingly focused, were beginning to strain from the hours of surveillance. He should have slept more, but he was certain that he was close to a breakthrough. He sighed. He knew gathering intel on the Paladins of Voltron wouldn’t be particularly thrilling, but he underestimated how dull it could be. The more he watched them, the more he came to realize that they were just children with glorious purpose thrust upon them. He scoffed.

 _‘Glorious purpose’ indeed_ , Lotor thought as he watched the small, bespectacled paladin huff a breath on the basin of her spoon and place it on her nose. It floated there as if by magic and the other children followed her lead.

Truly, they were _children_. Children from a primitive planet, according to their intel. If there was ever an easier target for manipulation, Lotor couldn't imagine one. They may have been powerful, but that was by virtue of their vessels. Lotor would even concede that their combat skills were impressive, but regardless of their strengths, they were teenagers. Lotor could exploit them, he was certain. The only question was by how much. What course of action would secure him the largest payoff? One of these Paladins would be his perfect pawn, but _which one_?

“Sir?”

Lotor let down his hands and pivoted his body to face the direction of the voice. Acxa, followed by Ezor, Zethrid, and Narti, entered the command deck.

“Ah, good morning. I trust you all slept well,” Lotor said, as he sat back in his chair.

“We did, thank you, sir,” Acxa replied as she approached his seat. She looked from him to the screen.

“Have you been up long?”

“Only a couple of vargas,” Lotor admitted, “The monitor alerted me that Kuron-X5D was up and about, so I decided to observe the Paladins.”

“Learn anything?” Ezor asked as she bounded closer to the screen. Her eyes were wide and bright.

“Nothing of consequence.”

“Why must we spy on the Paladins like cowards? We have plenty of ships! We can destroy the Paladins of Voltron with our might!” Zethrid said, her lips twisted into a snarl.

“Patience, Zethrid, _patience_. The Paladins are far more useful to us alive. Plus, we cannot hope to build a weapon of significance without the schematics and only a Paladin of Voltron will be able to reach them,” Lotor said in his easy, stately voice. Zethrid was most certainly an asset to Lotor with her incredible combat skills and strength, but her lack of foresight tried his patience. His thoughts flickered to the ships she referenced. The comet ship they had built was strong, but it wasn’t strong enough. Lotor would not challenge Voltron without a truly devastating weapon.

“Prince Lotor, what about the Paladin who pilots the Black kitty? He’s really strong and their leader!” Ezor offered.

“No! It should be the Princess! She is by far the strongest. She was even able to hold her ground against me,” Zethrid said.

“No, Princess Allura’s command of Quintessence expels her from consideration. As far as the Black Paladin...Narti, what do you think?” Lotor asked, looking at her.

Narti, who had been quietly listening from near the entrance approached the group. Kova, her cat, stared at the screen, paying special attention to the Paladin wearing a red jacket. After a moment, Kova looked to Lotor.

Narti shook her head “no”.

Lotor smiled, thin and devious. He let an elbow perch on the armrest of his chair and formed a fist for his chin to rest on.

“I agree. I believe _that_ Paladin will be far more destructive if he believes he’s responsible for the endangerment of a comrade,” Lotor said.

The five half-Galras let silence befall them as they watched the screen displaying six Voltron team members cleaning up their breakfast.

"Sir, what about this Paladin?" Acxa asked, pointing at the tall, thin boy wearing a moss-colored jacket.

“Oh! That’s a good one! He shot one of my projectiles right out of the air when we fought them that one time,” Ezor said, her eyes widening again.

“Sir, I’ve noticed that the Black Paladin can be particularly protective of the Red one. So much so that it becomes a distraction. Seems like a weakness we could exploit,” Acxa said.

Lotor accepted the information with a nod.

“Interesting.”

Having an extra marksman is always useful and if he was of particular importance to the Black Paladin, that was a clear plus. The Red Paladin seemed like a viable option, but Lotor still felt that they had too little information to make a decision. He needed to push the Paladins. He needed to see who would most likely break under the pressure of their massive responsibility. He realized he was never going to learn the Paladins’ weaknesses by watching their meal times.

“We need to attack them-”

“YES!” Zethrid roared. Lotor stared pointedly at her for the interruption. Her ears lowered and her shoulders slumped at his glower. Lotor cleared his throat.

“Acxa, do you have a list of planets that used to be allied with Voltron?” Lotor asked. Acxa immediately went to her work station and typed away at the controls.

“The closest planet to us is Arondor in the Varu’si system. It’s technologically advanced. They’ll likely have a way of contacting Voltron.”

“Perfect,” Lotor said, another dark smile spreading over his lips.

* * *

 

"...And then the peaceful planet of Assix has some of the most beautiful wildlife this side of the Frounzet Quadrant! At night, the planet is covered with bio luminescent creatures called Slimpies that fly around in a fantastic display!" Coran explained, his eyes bright with excitement. He showed a video of the creatures in questions on the largest screen in the bridge. Usually, Lance found Coran's space lessons in the Bridge pretty boring, but even he had to admit that Assix was a cool planet.

“Whoa!” Pidge exclaimed.

“Incredible,” Shiro said with a small smile. Lance couldn’t disagree.

“They’re just like fireflies!” Hunk said, his face brightening with the realization. Lance looked back at the screen that showed video of the planet Assix at night. It was forest scene full of odd foliage and even odder creatures. There were trees with pale pink leaves and onyx black trunks, there was grass the color of cream, and a lake with inky blue water. All of this was illuminated by the hundreds of Slimpies delicately gliding through the air. The Slimpies, to Lance, were just balls of soft magenta light floating around. He assumed that they probably had bodies like fireflies, just as Hunk had suggested. Something about the entire scene reminded him of Earth, despite all of the odd colors. The familiar tension that gathered at the base of Lance’s neck whenever he thought of Earth came back, but he tried to swallow it down.

“Fireflies?” Coran asked.

“They’re like little bugs with yellow-green lights in their butts on Earth,” Hunk answered.

“Fascinating!”

"So...why do we need to know about Assix?" Keith asked. Lance glared at him. Did they _always_ have to get right down to business? Couldn’t they just learn cool stuff about alien planets for once?

“Dude, are you a _robot_?” Lance asked. Keith sent him daggers with his eyes.

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

“Uh, it means you’re completely incapable of enjoying things that aren’t totally related to your _di-rec-tive,_ ” Lance said, using a robot voice on the last word and emphasizing it with stiff robot arm movements. Pidge snorted and Keith rolled his eyes.

“Oh, I’m _sorry._ Next time I see some glowing bugs, I’ll be sure to write some poetry about it. _That_ will really help us defeat Lotor.”

“Man, you are _such_ a buzz kill.”

“Paladins!” Allura called, her brow knitted and lips scrunched in frustration, “Please. As Paladins of Voltron, it is essential that you learn the culture, customs, and environments of the planets aligned with the Voltron Coalition. The life cycles of the Slimpies hold extreme spiritual significance to the Assixions. If we do not know of these customs we could accidentally insult them and jeopardize our alliance. So, _Keith_ , I’d thank you to listen to Coran’s lesson in full-”

“Oooooh,” Lance mocked, likening himself to nine-year-old giddy with the satisfaction of a fellow classmate getting in trouble.

“And _Lance_ , I’d thank _you_ to stop picking fights during Coran’s lessons. Really! What sort of education system do you Earthlings even have?” Allura asked.

Lance shrank in his seat and mumbled out an apology. Keith echoed him. Coran, unfazed by the altercation, continued his lecture without missing a beat.

“Right! So, the Slimpies are revered by the Assixions as being spiritual guardians of sorts, protecting the planet’s inhabitants with their strange powers. There’s no evidence of them _actually_ having powers, but the Assixions believe in them fiercely and it would be incredibly rude to suggest that the little buggers were just...well, bugs.”

“So, they don’t really do anything except glow and fly around?” Pidge asked.

“No, they do have one interesting quirk. Their magenta glow will change color when it lands on a body depending on the emotional state of the body in question. For instance, if a Slimpie landed on an _angry_ Assixion it’s glow would change to a yellow color and if it landed on a _happy_ Assixion the glow would change to a bright red,” Coran said, wildly gesticulating.

“Huh, kind of like mood rings,” Shiro mused.

“Now! What does this mean for diplomacy? Well-” Coran started, but was cut off by the loud blaring of the castle’s distress alarm. All of the Paladins jumped to their feet and Allura ran to her control panel. A video pulled up onto the Bridge’s main screen, but it was just static. Allura whipped her head to look at Pidge.

“Pidge! The message has been corrupted. Can you decode it?” Allura asked, her voice bold and decisive. Pidge wasted no time in getting to her station and typing away furiously.

“Give me a minute! Whatever is sending this transmission is a hunk of junk,” Pidge said, her brow furrowed and her shoulders hunched forward.

“You think you’ll be able to, Pidge?” Shiro asked.

Pidge made a frustrated, growling sound, but then straightened her back up so fast that Lance worried she’d hurt something.

“No, but I just got the coordinates to the transmitter's location. Sending your way Coran!”

“ _Excellent_ , number five!” Coran said, turning back to his station to input the coordinates, “Ready for a jump whenever you are, Princess”

Nodding, Allura placed her hands on the controls and created a wormhole.

On the other end of the wormhole was a gray-colored planet covered in a thin layer of clouds and bright city lights peppering across its surface. Lance, still not completely over how _freaking cool_ alien planets were, could only admire it for a second as the castle-ship was quickly barraged by unfriendly purple lasers.

“Paladins! We must get to our lions!” Allura said, already pulling herself from her control panel in the center of the Bridge. Lance straightened his back and felt a surge of adrenaline pump from his heart through his veins. He and the other Paladins followed Allura’s lead and headed for their lions. The five of them broke off to their own chutes, but Lance found himself still following Allura. Allura looked back, hearing footsteps behind her.

“Lance! What are you doing? Your chute is _that_ way,” Allura said, pointing down the hallway that led to the Red Lion’s chute.

It dawned on Lance that he was subconsciously heading for Blue. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened.

“Oh! Right! I knew that!” Lance said, pivoting towards Red’s chute, but not before he caught Allura sighing and shaking her head.

* * *

 

Finally, they were in their Lions and out in the space surrounding the gray planet. Lance heard his teammates gasp at the sheer number of sentry fighters hovering above the planet's atmosphere.

The sentries began firing as soon as they noticed the Lions and Lance was quick to respond. His reaction speed was too fast though, as he found himself and Red dashing too far off in one direction. Piloting Red felt like wearing roller skates on a newly polished floor, especially since Lance had not adjusted to the fluidity of her movements yet. Lance was able to dodge fire from one sentry, but Red, unable to stop, plummeted into another set of sentries to his right.

Lance let out a cry as the impact jarred him, his neck jutting forward and then slamming back against his seat.

“Lance!” Hunk yelled through his comm, his voice slightly shaken.

“I’m okay!” Lance said quickly as he rubbed his neck. That would hurt in the morning.

“Lance, stop messing around and help us,” Keith said as the Black Lion tore through multiple sentries using her jaw blade.

 “I wasn’t messing around!” Lance said, a piece of his pride hurt. He didn’t dwell on it, as he had work to do, but the jab buzzed around in the back of his mind. He zipped around, doing his best to breathe and control Red while setting sentries aflame with his Magma Beam. Allura followed behind him and aided with her Ice Ray.

 “I don’t understand. The Galra don’t seem to be targeting the planet at all!” Allura said as her Lion sent out another wave of ice.

“Princess! The planet is Arandor,” Coran’s voice offered through the comms.

“Arandor? That was one of Voltron’s first alliances. No wonder they were able to send a distress signal, albeit a primitive one,” Allura said.

“So, that means they were just luring us out here!” Pidge said.

“Lotor’s set us up again!” Keith said, his voice low, but thunderous.

“We should go! We should definitely go! Every time Lotor’s pulled the wool over our eyes it’s been very, very bad, so let’s just quit while we’re ahead and leave,” Hunk said, the mounting anxiety clear in his voice.

“We can’t, Hunk! The sentries will turn on the Arandorians if we don’t put a stop to them,” Allura said. Shiro’s face popped up on the comm screen on Lance’s control deck.

“Allura’s right. We can’t leave that planet defenseless,” Shiro said.

“But there’s so many of them!”

“They’re just a bunch of sentries, Hunk. We can take ‘em out if we form Voltron,” Keith said.

“Aw, man,” Hunk complained, but the Yellow Lion dashed towards the Black Lion regardless. The Green, Blue, and Red Lions followed suit and got in formation with the Black Lion.

“Form Voltron!” Keith boomed and within seconds, the five Lions were transforming into the Defender of the Universe, “Form Sword!”

Keith, ever the hot-head, had Voltron dive into a large cluster of sentries and hack away at them. As Voltron slashed away more sentries came to replace the ones that had been destroyed. Voltron kept fighting, but the numbers never seemed to lower. The sentries were circling them now, blasting away from every direction.

“Uh, we may want to think of a new plan because I feel like we’re about to be eaten alive,” Pidge said through gritted teeth.

“Yeah, I’m with Pidge,” Lance agreed. Keith growled and Voltron blasted out of the pit of sentries, gaining some distance.

“ _Where_ are they even coming from?” Keith asked.

“I don’t know, but we have to try something else. The sword isn’t cutting it. Heh. Get it? Cutting? ‘Cause it’s a sword?” Lance joked. He heard a chorus of groans in his ear.

“Wait!” Allura said, her voice bright in the comms, “I think Blue has an idea!”

"What, like your Bayard?" Hunk asked.

“Yes!”

"Do it, Allura!" Keith said and Lance felt his stomach bottom out. Blue's Bayard? He'd never been able to unlock that. Tension filled his chest as his stomach continued to sink to the floor of his cockpit. He shook his head. No time for that now.

Allura followed Keith’s orders without hesitation and a large square-shaped laser cannon perched itself on Voltron’s shoulders. Lance heard Allura grunt as she activated the weapon.

The Laser Cannon expelled a laser like a wall that was able to take out various sentries at once. Voltron moved slowly as the laser swept through large swarms of enemies. By the time the laser was out of juice, only a handful of sentries remained. Voltron quickly got through all of them with his sword and the atmosphere was cleared of all Galra Fighters.

“Allura! That was amazing!” Pidge chimed.

"Yeah, way to go!" Hunk agreed. If it was possible, Lance felt his stomach even lower than before. He shook his head again and prayed the feeling would simply disappear. It was fine. He was fine. Just because Allura unlocked her Bayard within the first few weeks of piloting Blue while Lance was never able to despite the months of being the Blue Paladin didn't mean he was a bad pilot. He knew that. It was fine.

If only the painful tension centered in his chest would let him believe that.

* * *

 

When they reached the hangars, everyone was excited to reach Allura. Shiro was waiting for them in the connecting bay, but Lance lingered in Red while the others tumbled out of their Lions. He just...needed a moment.

Lance took a deep breath in and closed his eyes.

 _It's fine. You're fine. You're gonna go down there, you're gonna smile, and you're gonna tell Allura how cool she is. Because she is and it's not fair for you to rain on her parade just because you never got to unlock Blue's Bayard and you feel like the worst pilot ever. Okay? Okay,_ Lance told himself.

Red growled at him, which roughly translated to “stop that!”

“Sorry, Red. I’m trying,” Lance said, standing up. He took another breath and exited his Lion, “Okay, I got this”

He made his way over to the connecting bay. By the time he got there, most of his fellow Paladins were there and Allura was just arriving as he was. Pidge and Hunk got to her first.

“Whoa, man! I can’t believe Voltron had a laser beam like that!” Hunk said slamming a big hand on Allura’s petite shoulder. Allura beamed at him.

“Thank you, Hunk!”

“I think it’s going to come in handy when we have a lot of weak enemies to get rid of. I don’t think that attack will do much damage on tougher ships, but it’s definitely going to be super useful,” Pidge said, a curled finger on her chin.

“Good work, Allura,” Keith offered, even tacking on a small smile. Lance’s insides twisted, but Lance willed himself to ignore it.

“Strong, smart, _and_ beautiful? Princess, you really are the total package,” Lance said, giving Allura one of his dashing smiles. There. That sounded normal. That was good.

Allura rolled her eyes, but her smile never faded. Shiro came over to Allura and placed a hand on her vacant shoulder, and then placed his other hand on Keith’s closest shoulder.

“Great work, team. You’re really getting the hang your new lions,” Shiro said with a smile. Then his gaze sought out Lance, “Speaking of, Lance, you might want to work on controlling your Lion. You almost got hurt today.”

Lance froze. Actually, everyone froze. That wasn’t...like Shiro. Sure, he would offer constructive feedback, but he usually had enough tact to take you to the side and talk it through with you. He didn’t single you out and put your shortcomings out on display.

Lance could feel the tension from his chest rise to his throat. He swallowed thickly, trying to push away the black feelings he worried would consume him if he let them. There was a strained silence that went on for a beat too long before Lance was able to respond.

"Oh, yeah. Don't worry, Shiro. I'll get the hang of it soon! Um, but, y'know, I actually did kind of hurt my neck, so I'm just gonna grab some ice from the infirmary. See you guys in a bit," Lance said, leaving as fast as he could without making it obvious how desperately he needed to be alone.

* * *

 

Keith watched Lance dash from the connecting bay, leaving only a heavy silence in his wake.

“Um…” Pidge said, moving a finger up to her cheek to scratch it. Keith was certain that she was feeling the same thing as him. By the worried looks on Allura and Hunk’s face, he suspected they also didn’t feel comfortable with the scene between Shiro and Lance.

Neither of them acted in ways they normally would. Shiro giving criticism right after a mission in front of everyone? Completely out of character. And then, Lance? Lance's face never looked like that. Keith had never seen such a hurt expression come across Lance's face before. It only lasted for the briefest of seconds, but It was enough to tip him and the other Paladins off that something was _very_ wrong. Lance didn’t make faces like that.

How in the world did Shiro not know better? Shiro understood the team better than anyone. Keith would be the first person to say he wasn’t exactly an “empathetic” guy, but he at least knew that now was _not_ the time to get on Lance for shoddy piloting. Not when Allura had just unlocked the Blue Lion’s Bayard.

Keith had worried about this as soon as it had happened. He knew Lance would take it as a blow. Lance told Keith himself that Allura had to stick with Blue because she might unlock unknown Voltron powers. And he was right. She did.

Again, Keith wasn’t the “feelings” guy, but...he was pretty sure Lance would now feel justified in thinking he should “step aside”. Keith thought this was ridiculous, of course. Lance was...well, Lance had really _helped_ Keith the past few weeks. He couldn’t imagine the team without Lance. It felt wrong, somehow, but then again, so was Voltron without Shiro. The whole thing was a massive mess.

But Shiro knew none of this. Maybe that’s why he had said something so off-base.

The rest of his team began making their way towards the inner castle when Keith called out to Shiro. All of them turned their attention back to him.

“Can we talk for a minute?” Keith asked.

"Yeah, of course," Shiro said, heading back towards Keith. The others gave them hesitant glances but then left the connecting bay. When they were gone, Shiro addressed Keith, "What's up?"

“Look, Shiro I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the best with team dynamics, but I think we should talk about Lance,” Keith started. The words felt odd coming out of his mouth. Talking about others when they weren’t present made his stomach turn and his fingers twitch. Shiro stared at him for a beat and then a warm smile spread across his face.

“Never thought I’d see the day when _you’d_ want to talk to me about _Lance_. Is it about his flying?” Shiro asked. Keith shook his head.

“No. Not that. About a week ago, Lance came to talk to me about some stuff…” Keith began. He explained the conversation that happened in his room to Shiro: how Lance had come to him, how he believed that if they all swapped Lions again then Allura should stay with Blue, and how Lance offered to step down if it came down to it.

“That’s...not like him,” Shiro said, his brow tensed in thought.

“I know. I don’t really get it myself, but I just thought I should tell you. That wasn’t a good time to tell him he needs to work on his connection with his lion,” Keith said, the words feeling wrong on his tongue. He didn’t normally talk to Shiro like this. Shiro stared at Keith, the surprise clear on his face.

“Oh. I hadn’t-I didn’t _realize_ -”

“Shiro, it’s okay. I just...I don’t know, I thought you should know,” Keith said. He felt guilty saying it. Lance hadn’t told him he could tell Shiro, but a part of Keith never wanted to see that face on Lance again. If Keith could help keep it off of him, then he would.

“No, I’m glad you told me. I’ll talk to him,” Shiro said, offering him a smile, “Thanks,  Keith.”

“Don’t mention it.”

* * *

 

Lance decided to change before heading to the infirmary as the heavy armor added unnecessary weight to his neck. As he walked, he kept the flow of his thoughts away from the Lions, Allura, and Shiro. He focused on the rhythm of his breath and the sound of his footsteps.

Once in the safety of his own room, he let the thoughts he’d kept at bay flood his mind. It took only a minute before fresh tears pooled at his eyes and slid down his cheeks. He let them fall as he changed, letting his pain run its course so he could act normally again. Lance, despite being a dramatic person, was not a dramatic crier. He didn't sob or wail. He simply let tears cascade down his cheeks in silence save for the occasional sniffle.

This wasn’t a particularly rare occurrence for Lance. Sometimes being a Paladin of Voltron was overwhelming and sometimes he just needed to go to his room, cry a bit, and then go back to being his usual goofy, happy self. Lance would cry for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes it was triggered by remembering how much he missed Earth, or how his niece and nephew were probably growing up really fast without him, or how his whole family probably thinks he’s dead. Other times, fear struck his heart and he worried he was going to die at seventeen in this war that was not his own.

Despite all of this, Lance _loved_ being a Paladin of Voltron. It made him feel special, needed, important: all the things his brain convinced him he wasn't. Anytime he got some sneaky, ugly thought about himself he'd just think _I’m a Paladin of Voltron! The Sharpshooter! One of five chosen ones to defend the universe! Suck on that, Brain!_

That worked for a long while, but then, the ugly thoughts found a way to corrupt even that happy fact. The thing was, Lance had a bad habit of comparing himself to people and boy, was this a bad environment for that. Pidge and Hunk were geniuses in their respective fields. Allura was an alien princess with super strength and magic powers. Shiro was a legendary pilot. Keith was...Keith. The Garrison’s “Star Fighter Pilot” and the one the Black Lion chose to lead even _after_ Shiro came back.

Lance sighed.

It’s hard not to think you’re the seventh wheel when you’ve got a lineup like that. Lance did his best to push it aside. He kept reminding himself how he was awesome and he kept reminding _others_ how awesome he was too. He tried to stay positive. Sometimes he failed, but he kept trying anyway.

Finding what made him awesome was hard today. He had been struck with a double whammy to the ol' self-confidence. For one, he was faced with the fact that he, the original Blue Paladin, probably didn't have as strong of a connection to Blue as Allura did and Allura was the superior Blue Paladin. She did what he couldn't within weeks. _Weeks_. Then, there was his own performance. Out of all the Paladins, _he_ was the one still struggling with his Lion. Keith was getting much more comfortable in Black and Allura was doing just as he predicted: unlocking new powers to Voltron. While Lance? Lance could barely keep his Lion straight. It was almost like he hadn't spent the past four years of his life training to be a pilot. Keith's " _Lance, stop messing around and help us_ " came to the forefront of his mind and his heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand.

And then, Shiro. _Shiro_. Lance’s freaking _hero_ had looked him straight in the eye and told him he " _might want to work on controlling his lion_ " after he just praised everyone else for their work. Lance felt his stomach knot with ugly, sour feelings. How was he supposed to come out of that not hating himself? Why would Shiro say that in front of everyone? It didn't make sense. Shiro had never done that to him before. If anything, Shiro was probably the person on the team most willing to give him praise. Even when Shiro was giving Lance feedback, he was always sure to tell him what he was doing well. It confused Lance and confusion didn't mix well with all the self-doubt. He took in a big gulp of air to steady himself.

Lance finished changing and wiped his eyes. He went into the bathroom and splashed warm water on his face to get rid of the tear tracks staining his cheeks. He stared at himself in the mirror. His eyes were only a little red. He’d be able to head out soon. Lance forced himself to take deep breaths until his sclera faded back to their usual color.

The worst had passed. Yes, today hadn't been a great day for his self-esteem, but it was all okay now. With another grounding breath, Lance headed out of his door to the infirmary.

* * *

 

He was glad when he met no one on his way there. He loved his teammates and all, but it was times like these where he just needed his space. As he walked, Lance slowly bent his neck to the left and then slowly to the right.

“Ah,” he winced. He definitely pulled a neck muscle on his left side. He gently massaged the area and mused how good ice would feel against it. He approached the infirmary doors and they opened with a _swoosh_. Lance stepped in but stopped dead when he realized he wasn't alone.

Shiro stood in the center of the room, his arms crossed and his head downcast in deep thought. When Lance entered the room, Shiro looked up at him and let his arms fall. The infirmary was one of the smaller rooms in the castle. It was mainly used for lesser injuries that didn't warrant the waste of Quintessence for a Cryopod: little cuts, pulled muscles, headaches, and the like. There were rows of cupboards filled with medical supplies on the east side of the room and two cots lined the western wall. In the center was a medical table that was underneath a bright, adjustable light hanging from the ceiling.

“There you are. I’ve been waiting for you,” Shiro said, a small smile on his face. Lance raised a hand to scratch his neck, but hit the sensitive muscle and winced. Shiro moved instantly and grabbed a small, rectangular pack out of a cupboard. He moved to Lance and handed it to him.

“Thanks,” Lance said, pressing the cold compress to his neck and sighing in relief.

“No problem. Here, sit,” Shiro said, gesturing to the closer of the cots. Lance obeyed and sat down. Shiro took a seat next to him.

“So, what’s up big guy? You wanted to talk to me?” Lance asked, keeping his voice light and airy, but his eyes glued to the infirmary floor.

"I actually wanted to apologize to you, Lance."

Lance eye's popped up to Shiro.

“Apologize? For what?”

"For what I said earlier. Keith, if you can believe it, made me realize I was being a bit of a jerk. I'm sorry, Lance," Shiro said, putting a hand on Lance's shoulder. Lance looked down at the shoulder and then looked back at Shiro. Keith spoke to Shiro? Lance's insides squirmed.

 _Guess I wasn’t as slick as I thought I was_ , Lance thought. A wave of shame rippled through him. Keith pitied Lance enough that he had talked to Shiro. The thought made him feel sick.

“Don’t even worry about it bud, it’s all good!” Lance said, keeping the usual levity in his voice. Shiro’s brows knitted together as he crossed his arms in front of his chest again.

“Lance,” he said.

“Yeah?” Lance asked. Something in Shiro’s tone made him want to run and hide to the nearest closet. Shiro sighed.

“Keith told me how you talked to him about stepping aside?”

Lance felt the color leave his face and his heart squeeze again. This was not where he hoped the conversation would go. Lance didn’t want anyone else to know how he was feeling, especially when the conversation with Keith hadn’t gone great. Keith had tried. Lance knew that and appreciated that, but it didn’t fix Lance’s deep-seated worry that he might not be the best person for the team.

Lance wasn’t sure if he should have felt betrayed or touched by Keith’s loose lips, but he figured that was a problem for another time because Shiro was staring at him. Lance took a deep breath in. If Shiro was asking, maybe that was a sign he should confide in him. Maybe, Shiro could help him.

"I just...I just think that once the Black Lion lets you back in, that I should let Keith go back to Red and let Allura keep Blue. I mean, you saw her today. She was amazing," Lance said, his eyes particularly interested on a scuff mark on the floor. He heard Shiro take a big breath.

“Lance...Red chose you. What makes you think Red would even take Keith back? What makes you think Black will take me back, for that matter?” Shiro asked and Lance scoffed at that.

“Oh, come on, Shiro. Black probably wants you to rest for a bit before getting back out there or something. She totally wants you back. And then, Red? She’d jump at the chance to have Keith back in her seat. I know it,” Lance said, his voice growing quieter as he spoke.

“You’re not getting along?”

“No. No, it’s not that. It’s...” Lance started, his eyebrows knitting together.

“It’s what?”

“I’m not as good of a pilot as Keith. The professors at the Garrison used to call him the best pilot of our generation. I...I didn’t even _make_ Fighter Pilot Class, Shiro. I snuck in because Keith was expelled. The Red Lion only chose me because she couldn’t have her first choice anymore,” Lance said, his free hand fidgeting and pulling at his jeans. He swallowed the emotion coming up his throat.

“Lance, those things don’t matter. Pidge and Hunk weren’t pilots in the first place and despite what you might think, Red chose _you_. You’re her pilot now, so don’t compare yourself to Keith, okay?” Shiro said, clapping a hand on Lance’s shoulder blade. The tension in Lance’s chest twisted with a violent force. He knew Shiro was saying nice things. He knew he _should_ feel better, but he didn’t. There was something tone deaf in Shiro’s comforting that felt foreign to Lance.

“Okay. Thanks, Shiro,”

"And hey, if you're worried, you can always practice. We can work on it together," Shiro offered with a smile. Lance did his best to reciprocate but felt his stomach drop again. If you would have asked him a year ago, nothing would have made him happier than getting private flying lessons from _the_ Takashi Shirogane, but now? Now, it felt like babysitting and Shiro was confirming all of his worst fears.

“Um, yeah. Yeah, thanks,” Lance said, the words heavy on his tongue.

* * *

 

Lotor watched the blue-eyed boy, or _Lance_ , as he was made aware, on the monitor in front of him. A crooked smile snaked its way onto Lotor’s face as the conversation between Kuron-X5D and the Red Paladin revealed all of the latter’s insecurities.

“Now, _that_ ,” Lotor said, his smile growing wider, “is something we can use.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I'm sorry that I have to put my boy Lance through so much, but I'll make it up to him. 
> 
> Hey, did you enjoy this? Would you like me to keep going? Please, let me know! Kudos and comments give me motivation and I would love to hear your thoughts. 
> 
> Wanna follow me and my descent into Klance hell? Here's my [Tumblr](http://thunder-dor.tumblr.com/)!


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A prison break and a Bonding Moment™

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of notes:
> 
> 1.) Oh god this chapter is over 10k and this fic is gonna be a behemoth  
> 2.) It takes over 5k for Lance to show up in this lance-centric fic ft. Lance I'M SORRY  
> 3.) Thank you SO much for reading, commenting, and kudos-ing! I was blown away by the reception of the first chapter and it really made me want to get out a bangin chapter 2 to you guys. Thank you!!!  
> 4.) Huge shout out to [Emma](http://violaeadde.tumblr.com/) again for Beta-ing this stupid long chapter. You the real MVP. :')
> 
> Please enjoy this chapter that almost killed me.

**Dark Blue**

_Chapter Two  
_

If Matt was being completely honest, it was a suicide mission. Yes, Yiz was stealthy, Ugruck was strong, and Matt was smart, but infiltrating the Galran prison Op Zen was still a tall order no matter how good of a team they were.

Yiz, piloting the re-purposed Galran shuttle they were in, landed on a nearby meteor. The trio looked on at Op Zen in kinetic silence.

Op Zen reminded Matt of the kind of prisons you'd read about in fantasy novels. The four walls were tall, forming a square shape, with a watchtower as large as skyscrapers in each corner. A Galran soldier manned each watchtower and pyramid-shaped surveillance drones orbited the entire base. Images of Matt’s time in Galra captivity flooded his mind. The thought caused his hand to clench into a fist so tight that his nails left crescent-shaped marks in his palm.

"Matt, can you just...walk us through the plan one more time?" Yiz said, his voice shaky and high-pitched. Yiz was the team’s resident expert in stealth and their designated “eyes in the sky.” He was also...a lizard person. His head was shaped like a Velociraptor's, but he lacked sharp teeth and scales. Instead, his skin was leathery and the color of dust. He was a slight creature: thin and shorter than Matt by at least a foot. His eyes were a dark scarlet with black slits for pupils and his hands were shaped like a chameleon's. He even had a Gekko-esque tail covered with black spots.

Ugruck grunted.

“You’ve forgotten already, Yiz of Thymoore? How can you hope to bring honor to your kin and planet with such a memory?” Ugruck asked. If Yiz was a reptile, then Ugruck was a land mammal. A big, hairy land mammal that animal experts would tell you to play dead around if you ever encountered one. He stood upright as a human, but was covered in shaggy, purple hair. His eyes were black beads that lacked humor and he had two long canines protruding from the top of his mouth that came over his bottom lip like a saber-tooth tiger. His nose was squashed, his ears were deer-shaped, and he towered over Matt so much that looking at Ugruck strained his neck.

“I didn’t forget!” Yiz yipped, “I just want it fresh in my mind before we do this _incredibly_ stupid thing.”

“There is nothing ‘stupid’ about saving Queen Hema of Assix,” Ugruck said, his gruff voice stern.

“No, but trying to infiltrate one of the Galra’s most secure prisons? Pretty stupid!”

Matt sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Solving disputes between Yiz and Ugruck was a good fifty percent of his job at this point.

“Yiz, we’re not going in blind. We have a plan,” Matt said, then turning to Ugruck, “And Ugruck, shut up. It’s stupid.”

Matt had found that Ugruck, as intimidating as he was, just needed to be told to ‘shut up’ sometimes and Matt was often the one tasked with telling him. Ugruck's face twisted into a scowl.

“Matt Holt! Do not dishonor Ugruck of Hunuk by telling him to ‘shut up’! Ugruck’s ideas and opinions are valid,” Ugruck said. Hunuk was Ugruck’s home planet and they loved their honor as much as they loved referring to themselves in the third person.

Matt resisted the urge to roll his eyes. When it came to Ugruck, Matt was in a _constant_ state of fighting the urge to roll his eyes. Sometimes he failed and when he did, Ugruck gave him a lecture on how disrespectful such an action was against Ugruck of Hanuk.

“I’m very sorry, Ugruck. Can we get back to the mission now?” Matt asked. Ugruck observed him for a tick, crossed his arms, and gave a curt nod.

“Proceed.”

 _"Thank you_. Okay, Yiz, first I’m gonna shut down the surveillance drones using my scrambler, then, when the guards are being relieved from their shifts in the watchtowers, we’ll have approximately fifteen ticks to fly down to the emergency exit at the bottom of the west wall. Once we’re there, we’ll cloak the ship. We only have a half-varga of invisibility, so we’ll have to be fast. I’ll use my glove to get through the emergency door and we’ll use the map from our intel to get to the high-security cells in the north wing. That’s where we’re gonna have to improvise, but between your surveillance and Ugruck’s fists, the guards shouldn’t be a problem. We get the Queen. We get out. Simple, right?”

Yiz shifted his eyes at the controls of the Galra shuttle. Matt knew he wasn’t feeling confident. Yiz never did.

“It’s completely _ridiculous_ , but yeah. I guess it’s pretty simple. When do the guards change?” Yiz asked. Matt looked down at his communication device.

“About five doboshes,” Matt answered. Yiz sighed and straightened his back.

* * *

 

The doboshes ticked by and the trio grew tenser as the time of the guard switch grew closer and closer. Matt kept his eyes trained on the closest watchtower guard. He would take his cue the exact moment the guard turned around towards the watchtower ladder. Once the guard did that he would activate the scrambler from his modified rebellion tablet. The scrambler was a device that sat upon their shuttle like TV antennae on a mobile home. It would short-wire the surrounding drones’ sensors for a solid dobosh before they turned back on and resumed their patrols.

Matt’s eyes strained with the heavy concentration, but he kept them locked on the guard. A tick later, Matt saw the guard start to turn and his fast fingers activated the scrambler. The green strips of light on the drones faded and their movements ceased.

"Now, Yiz!" Matt instructed. Yiz nodded and obeyed, revving the shuttle through space. Yiz was careful not to crash into any stationary drones as he descended to the hidden exit on the western wall and he slid next to the bottom of it. Matt let out a sigh of relief that they had passed through their first major hurdle undetected.

“Okay, where’s the entrance?” Yiz asked. Matt pulled up the smuggled blueprints of Op Zen on his tablet.

“Keep going along the wall. Keep going...keep going... _stop_ ," Matt said. Yiz did as he was told and turned off the engine. The three of them grabbed their space helmets, while Ugruck attached an extra one to his belt for Queen Hema on the way back.

Matt opened the hatch and stepped onto the stone lip lining the wall of the prison. Yiz quietly shut the hatch and Matt turned to the wall. He opened the latch of one of the pouches on his utility belt and pulled out a single, hefty glove. It was brown, made of a similar material to leather, and fit past his wrist. If it were lying on the ground, it would have been mistaken for trash but the lining was filled with some of Matt's most intricate work. Matt installed the glove with nano sensors that registered the glove as a Galran hand. This allowed him access to most Galran hand-recognition panels. Matt smirked at the memory of when he first got the glove operational. Let’s just say, the rebellion blessed the day they saved Matt Holt from the Galra’s clutches.

Matt moved his gloved hand along the smooth wall, looking for the control panel. He found a small square hole at Galra-chest level and pressed a finger in it. There was a small “click” sound as if a button had been released.

A part of the wall folded into itself allowing a hand-recognition panel to elegantly appear. Matt pressed his gloved hand against the panel and two doors slid open revealing an entrance to the building. Matt brought out the tablet from his utility belt.

“Initiating cloaking device on the shuttle now. We have a half-varga until it wears off. Remember, I installed a weaker cloaking device in your...well, your cloaks. Press the trigger in your sleeve and you’ll be almost invisible for twenty ticks. There’s only enough charge in it to use once, so use it wisely.”

Yiz and Ugruck nodded. Matt nodded back and, with a sweep of his cloak, he turned to enter through the doors.

They led to a shadowed nook with only the soft purple beams overhead providing light. Matt let the protective glass on his helmet fall and pulled his cloak’s hood over his head. Yiz and Ugruck followed suit. Matt closed the door with the inside hand-recognition panel and he looked down at the tablet in his hands. He pulled up the blueprints for the prison.

“Okay, we’re in the western wing now and Queen Hema’s cell is in the northern wing,” Matt said, but it came out strained. The familiar aesthetics of a Galran prison was reminding him of the last time he’d been in such a place. A place where he was ripped away from his father and best friend. He looked down at his hand and noticed it’s trembling. He took in a breath and it was shaky from the tightness in his chest. Hopelessness spread through his mind like a heavy fog as he realized they’d be executed if caught.

“We are with you, Matt Holt,” Ugruck said, noticing the sudden shift in Matt’s demeanor and it was enough to bring him back to them. Matt allowed himself a small smile.

“Alright, we’ll go up this hallway. There’s _some_ cover. The cell doors all have archways around them, but that's it. Everything is mostly guarded by drones and sentries, but there are Galra guards too, so be careful."

"Okay," Yiz said in a hushed whisper. He poked his head out from the nook and looked both ways, his fingers fidgeting against each other. He took a shaky breath and slinked out from their nook into the open hallway. Matt and Ugruck placed their backs against the wall waiting for Yiz's signal to move forward. Yiz's lithe body allowed him to sneak into dark corners or hide in plain sight. His hands and feet were covered in seta and it allowed him to stick to hard surfaces. He would often stick himself onto the ceiling and the enemies below were none-the-wiser. Matt hoped that would be the case today.

“This hallway is really long, but go five doors down,” Yiz said, his voice low in the comm.

“Copy that,” Matt responded and darted out of the dark nook with Ugruck behind. Matt ran past each door, counting as he went on. Once they got to the fifth one, Matt hid behind the archway on the left and Ugruck to the right. Matt looked up and found Yiz on the ceiling several feet ahead.

“Two sentries are coming! Stay hidden!” Yiz said, his voice still quiet, but urgent. Matt flattened his back against the archway, his heartbeat quickening. He side-eyed Ugruck who was doing his very best to keep himself completely hidden by the archway, but his massive size made it difficult. Matt felt panic rise into his throat.

Matt heard the unmistakable clanging of sentries marching down the hall towards them. With every passing second, the noise got louder and louder until Matt knew they were just about to reach their archways. Matt held his breath and could feel his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Out of his peripherals, he tried to see if Ugruck had been able to properly hide himself behind the arch, but the alien had completely disappeared. Matt felt his eyes widen and his heart race faster.

In the corner of his eye, Matt saw the metallic silver of the sentries pass by him and he held his breath.

Then, they were gone as quickly as they appeared, marching down the hall completely unaware. Matt immediately looked back at where Ugruck was supposed to be, but saw nothing. Matt stared at the spot confused, until Ugruck’s head hovered in the archway as he let down the hood of his cloak. He sent Matt a toothy, boastful smile. Matt could kick himself for forgetting that their cloaks had cloaking abilities. Matt huffed out the breath he was holding, but remained still until Yiz gave them the go-ahead.

After several seconds Yiz whispered, “You’re clear until the end of the hall.”

Matt and Ugruck, now fully visible, looked to each other, their eyes meeting briefly before they raced to their next cover.

They reached the end of the western hall and Matt checked his tablet again behind the safety of another archway. Yiz waited for them above.

"Yiz, you're gonna take a right and halfway down the hallway will be the northern cell blocks where the Queen is hidden. I need you to find out what kind of security they have there," Matt whispered into the comm.

“Roger.”

Yiz skittered away while Matt and Ugruck hid behind their respective archways. Matt checked the time on his tablet and noted they only had twenty doboshes left before their shuttle would be visible. Matt took a steadying breath, his heartbeat still erratic from the adrenaline coursing through his body. Matt had been on dangerous missions ever since the freedom fighters rescued him, but this was definitely shaping up to be the most dangerous. They had no backup, no safety net.

 _We don’t need one_ , Matt thought to himself. Negativity wouldn’t help them here.

“Uh, guys…” Yiz said and Matt already didn’t like his tone.

“What is it?” Matt asked.

“There’s at least four drones and two sentries guarding that cell. I don’t think we can sneak in.”

Matt sighed and allowed his eyes to close for a tick while he thought of his next move. He looked at his tablet and looked over Op Zen’s blueprints again.

“Okay, there’s a main network control room not too far from here. I just need to take a left down this hall and take the next right. You guys stay put. Yiz keep an eye on this hall and the northern cell block for me.”

“Ugruck will accompany Matt Holt.”

“No, Ugruck. You’re too conspicuous. Stay here and if I say the code word, come after me.”

Ugruck made a bothered grunt but nodded regardless.

“Matt, I can come with you to the control room,” Yiz said, concern thick in his voice.

“No, I need your eyes here. You can get me down the first hallway and I have my cloak if I need it,” Matt said.

“Then you should go now. You’re clear.”

Matt mumbled a “thanks” and darted down the hall after putting the tablet safely in one of his pouches.

He got to the corner and placed his back against the wall, his heart leaping into his throat. He peaked his head around the corner just enough to see what lay down the next hallway.

 _Just great_ , he thought as he watched a single drone float up and down the hall. He sighed. _If only the scrambler could penetrate Galran walls._ He was just going to have to time it. Drones had limited vision and couldn’t see behind themselves; a flaw Matt was confident he could exploit. The control room was about halfway down the hall, so as long as he kept quiet and followed behind the drone, he could get in easily.

He activated the device on his hooded cloak so he could watch the drone's pattern without worry of detection. The drone was coming back from the other end of the hall, its green scanners filling the space in front of it. It got about five feet from Matt's location before it turned around. Matt exhaled, letting out a trapped breath and followed the drone.

He clung close to the wall on the right side, tip-toeing closer to the control room as the drone inched forward. His heart was beating so fast he was sure it would break right through his ribs, but then he remembered that such a thing was impossible and the logic behind that calmed him, if only a little.

After what felt like eons, Matt reached the archway that led to the control room. As soon as the drone was completely passed the room, Matt searched for a way inside. He breathed a sigh of relief when the he saw the door's only security was a hand-recognition panel. Matt put his gloved hand on the scanner and it made a small _beep_ before opening the doors.

The control room was, thankfully, empty and a weight lifted off of Matt’s chest. He quickly placed his hand on the inside hand-recognition panel to shut the door.

“I’m in,” Matt said into his comm. Yiz sighed in relief.

“Commendable work, Matt Holt,” Ugruck said.

“Thanks. Any updates on your side?”

“No, they’ve all kept their posts,” Yiz said.

“Ten-four,” Matt said, approaching the glowing blue control panel at the back of the room.

The control panel was large and looked pretty secure, but Matt knew he could crack it, having done so before on other missions. He pulled his tablet and a cord from his utility belt. He attached the cord to both the tablet and control panel, then began searching for the drone and sentry controls.

As he looked through Op Zen’s database, he found a folder called “Prisoner Files”.

 _That...could be useful_ , he thought and proceeded to download the files onto his tablet.

After another couple doboshes, Matt found the controls to the drones and sentries. The protection on the controls were far more complicated than the protection on the files had been, so Matt took a deep breath and got to work.

It was times like this he wished he could talk to Katie. Actually, he _always_ wished he could talk to Katie, but it always hit him hardest when he was trying to crack a bit of tech. Katie could have done this in half the time and with much more finesse. Matt was a bit of a “messy hacker”, as Katie phrased it.

 _“You leave traces_ ,” she had told him one day before cracking the same database on her computer in a matter of minutes. It used to make him jealous, but now his chest just swelled with pride at the memory. She was ten years his junior and yet she was a genius who could break into the most demanding systems like they were social media accounts using pet-name passwords. An old wound across his chest ached as he thought of her. He always knew Katie was bound for greatness and it excited him to see just what that greatness would be, but he doubted he would ever get the chance now.

He was a near-unfathomable distance away from her and his mom. Over the past few months, he did his best to mourn them and move on with his new life as the possibility of ever seeing them again was slim-to-none. Matt had resigned himself to being an orphan human in the vastness of space. He wasn’t naive enough to believe that the Galra had spared Shiro or his dad after all this time, so he held no hope for a reunion with either. Another pang of searing pain ripped through his chest. At least Katie and his mom were alive. Matt couldn’t imagine what his dad had gone through, or Shiro for that matter. Actually, _especially_ Shiro.

Shiro who was made to fight like some lion at the Coliseum in Rome. Shiro who sacrificed himself for Matt’s sake. The intense pain in Matt’s chest made him grit his teeth and furrow his brows.  

Matt would avenge him. He swore he would. His new purpose in life was to take down the Galra as mercilessly as they had treated the universe. He’d obliterate them, not just for the universe, but because they had ripped him away from every single person he ever loved. He’d do it for his mom, his dad, his baby sister, and for his best friend. He’d do it for himself.

A shot of courage and determination ignited him from his toes to his finger tips, and he pushed the thoughts of his family aside so he could rescue a space queen. The rebellion needed Queen Hema and he was going to get her for them. His fingers worked over his tablet with increased speed. He almost had it.

 _There!_ He thought as a map of the prison projected onto the large control panel screen. The drones were represented by small green dots, while the sentries were purple ones. Some of the dots moved slowly around the map, but most were stationary.

“I got into the system!” Matt said in an excited whisper.

“Good, because we only have ten doboshes left before the shuttle loses it’s cloaking abilities,” Yiz said, his voice trembling.

“We’ll make it,” Matt said, sounding more confident than he felt. He didn’t realize it had taken him so long.

Matt changed the flight patterns of the drones to different halls on the east side and he sent orders for the sentries to patrol the southern wing.

“They’re leaving! You did it, Matt!” Yiz said. Matt grinned.

"Coming back to you now!" he said and dashed to the door. He pressed his gloved hand to the hand-recognition panel again and the door opened. Matt stepped out of the room and checked either side of the hall. When he was certain the drone was nowhere in sight, he booked it back to the northern cell blocks.

Ugruck and Yiz were waiting for him in front of the cell blocks and they both smiled as he approached them.

“It looks like it’s locked by the same kind of scanner as the emergency exit, so your glove should work!” Yiz said, an air of confidence in his voice Matt was happily surprised by. Matt observed the cell block doors. They were double the height and width of the doors in the other hallways, but he wasted no time placing his hand on the door’s panel.

The doors obediently opened, but they were louder and slower than any of the other doors Matt had previously opened. He winced, worried a Galran soldier would hear.

 _We just have to be fast_ , he thought.

The trio ran through the doors and Matt pulled out his tablet to look at the blueprints again.

The cell block was similar to Earth prisons, but with unquestionably Galran aesthetics. The light was low and magenta-tinted, the cells were crescent-shaped, and all the accents were sharp and pointed. There were about five rows of cells and four cells in each row.

“Let’s split up and look for her! The map doesn’t say which cell she’s in,” Matt said. Ugruck and Yiz were quick to agree. Yiz went down the first row, Ugruck the second, and Matt decided to take the fifth so he could get closer to the exit as he searched.

The fifth row was completely empty so he ran down the fourth, which was also barren.

He was about to run down the third row when Ugruck exclaimed into his comm, “Ugruck has found Queen Hema in the second row!”

Matt whooped at the success and shook his hands to rid away some of the tingling nerves his body had collected. He ran over to the second row and saw Ugruck standing in front of a cell with a toothy grin.

"Queen Hema of Assix, Ugruck of Hunuk and his friends are here to help," he said. Matt met him and looked for the lock to the door. It was another hand-recognition panel and he used his glove on it again. The cell door swung open with a creak. Yiz had now joined them and Matt finally allowed himself a peek at the Queen.

She stood tall with her hands on her hips and suspicion on her face. She was an incredible thing to behold. She was around the same height as Matt, her skin was the color of red clay, and she wore her golden hair in a ponytail with intricate braids. Her eyes were huge and gray, while her nose was petite and pointed. He would have recognized her as a queen anywhere with the way she carried herself. Her posture was tall and her countenance was full of dignity and purpose.

“Help, you say? Are you here to help me or are you here to use me as a weapon against the Galra in the same way the Galra would use me as a weapon against you?” she asked, her voice full and powerful.

“Please, your majesty. The rebellion would like your help, but you will never be our prisoner. If you choose to go back to your people, we will take you there,” Matt said, quickly. He was getting ever more aware of the ticking clock. Queen Hema pierced him with a studious, searching gaze.

“Why should I trust that what you say is true?” Queen Hema asked. Matt sighed. They didn’t have time for this.

"Well, I mean, you can probably take it as a good sign we haven't just knocked you out. My buddy Ugruck here is very good at knocking people out. The Galra wouldn't have hesitated to take you by force," Matt said. The queen stared at him for a long moment, then at Ugruck, and then at Yiz.

“Your majesty, we have an _overwhelming time pressure_. Please, decide,” Matt said. He never thought they’d have to _convince_ her to leave a Galran prison.   

“I will go with you,” she said simply.

“ _Great_ , let’s go,” Matt said, already moving.

Ugruck untied the extra space helmet he had hooked on his belt and handed it to Queen Hema. Matt started down the row towards the exit. Now that he had the chance, Matt realized that the second row had a few prisoners in its cells. All of them looked like the life was being drained out of them. Their faces were gaunt and their eyes had dark circles underneath them. Matt felt a tug on his heart as he wished he could release them all, but there simply wasn't time.

 _I’ll come back for them_ , he thought and he took a deep breath in.

That’s when he saw it. A flash of white in the last cell. It contrasted so dramatically with the rest of the area that his eyes went to it immediately. After the initial shock of white, Matt’s eyes adjusted and he realized the white mass was armor worn by a body lying on the ground of the cell. Curious, his eyes traveled upwards taking in the the armor. The armor had a slick design with black accents, most noticeably, a black v-shape on the chest. Matt’s eyes then finally landed on the face and he felt all the air knock out of him as he gasped.

No. No, it wasn’t possible. There was no way.

Matt ran for the cell to get a better look at the body’s face. There was a white tuft of hair where it was once jet black and a scar where there once used to be smooth skin, but it was him. It was--

“ _Shiro!_ ” he yelled, his voice trembling just like the voice of the boy he used to be. The boy who had just been abducted by aliens. The boy who wasn’t yet strong enough to fight. The boy who needed protecting.

Matt slammed his palm against the hand-recognition panel so hard that he might have broken the tech within the glove, but none of that mattered because it was _Shiro_. _Shiro was here_.

The door opened and Matt ran to the beaten, unconscious man on the ground. He tore off his glove and pressed two fingers against Shiro’s throat.

A heartbeat was there: steady and strong. Just like Shiro. Matt blinked back tears.

“Matt Holt, what are you doing? We must leave quickly,” Ugruck said behind him.

“I won’t leave him!” Matt shouted, the nerves, adrenaline, and joy all clashing together.

“Matt we only have four doboshes before the cloaking wears off on the shuttle and we need it to escape,” Yiz said, his voice hectic, but gentle.

“Ugruck! You can carry him! _Please_. Ugruck...Ugruck, he’s my family,” Matt said in desperation, looking for the words to convince him, “he’s _kin_.”

The word activated something in Ugruck as his eyes widened and then softened for the briefest of seconds. He nodded, then walked to Shiro, grabbed him, and easily threw him over his shoulder. Matt’s heart surged with gratitude towards the giant alien and could have hugged him if time wasn’t of the essence. Matt looked around the cell and found the helmet to Shiro’s armor lying on the ground. He hastily put it on the man’s head and put his own glove back on.

“Okay, it’s _really_ time to go now,” Yiz said.

“Right,” Matt said and he willed himself to focus on their escape. Yiz began running back towards the entrance of the northern cell blocks and the others followed.

 _We might actually do this_ , Matt thought.

They passed the large cell block doors and turned at the first corner towards the western wing. Matt was going at full speed when he turned and he had no power to stop himself when he was suddenly slapping himself into a Galran Commander.

Matt felt his body freeze as the Commander blinked and then gasped. He stumbled back and raised his wrist comm to his chin.

"This is Commander Farzak! Intruders in the-" the Commander started, but Ugruck punched him with his free fist. The force of the punch sent the Galra flying into the nearest wall, knocking him unconscious.

It was too late, however, as the lights began to flash and the sirens sounded.

“Quiznak! Quiznak quiznak quiznak quiznak!” Yiz yelped.

“This is...an unfortunate development,” Queen Hema said as two sentries came from down the side of the hall they just left and began shooting.

“Run!” Matt said, taking them back down the hallways towards the emergency exit. The sentries followed, their guns blazing. Matt ran as fast as he could, his lungs aching in his chest. A whiz of purple light buzzed by his ear and he let out a shout.

“Why do none of us have _guns_?!” Matt asked.

“Ugruck could have smashed their heads in had Ugruck not been holding a bigger, stronger Matt Holt!” Ugruck grunted.

“Oh, _shut up_ , Ugruck!” Matt said as they turned the corner to the hallway where the emergency exit lay waiting for them. They got to it quickly and Matt worried he’d go deaf by how loud his heartbeat was pounding in his ears. He put the glass casing on his helmet back up as Yiz, Ugruck, and Queen Hema did the same.

He found the hand-recognition panel and used his glove on it. The door opened and Yiz dashed out first to open the invisible hatch to their shuttle. While Yiz searched for it, Matt used his glove one last time to close the emergency exit.

“I got it! Everyone get in!” Yiz yelled. The five of them ran in, able to see the insides of the ship since the hatch was open. Yiz went straight to the pilot seat as Matt closed the Hatch. Ugruck placed Shiro gently on the padded bench seating in the back of the shuttle, while Queen Hema sat on one of the cushions. Yiz started up the ship and Matt was quick to turn the scrambler on, just in case.

Yiz was bolting as fast as he could away from the prison and towards the rebel base planet, Phenlen. Matt looked out the window and saw that the prison had sent out fighter sentries, but they were searching, directionless.

“They haven’t spotted us,” Matt said, his voice shaky from the nerves.

“We’ve only got one dobosh before we lose cloaking,” Yiz said and Matt could see him trembling.

“Use the booster!”

“You better put your seat belts on then,” Yiz said. Matt immediately ran for Shiro. He sat down on the bench next to his head and strapped himself into the seat. Queen Hema, Ugruck, and Yiz strapped themselves in as well. Matt wrapped his arms around Shiro’s torso from the back and locked his hands together. He figured it would be the best way to keep him secure while he was unconscious.

“Do it, Yiz!” Matt said.

“Hold on!” Yiz replied and activated the booster.

It felt like being shot out of a cannon. The force was so powerful that it knocked Shiro’s legs to the floor, but Matt held on as tight as he could to Shiro’s torso and never let the man fly away from him. Matt would never let Shiro fly away from him again. For as long as he lived.

Finally, the shuttle slowed down. Matt situated Shiro in a comfortable position and then headed to the hatch window. The only objects in his sights were stars. Beautiful, beautiful stars.

“I think...I think we _did_ it,” Matt said with a big, bright smile on his face that caused his eyes to crinkle. Yiz sighed in relief, Ugruck made a proud sort of grunt, and Queen Hema graced them with a small, satisfied smile. Matt looked at Shiro and felt his heart swell. They had to get him medical attention immediately, but Matt knew he’d be okay. Shiro was survivor.

Matt’s grin wouldn’t leave him as he realized the impossible had happened: he wasn’t all alone in the universe anymore.

* * *

 

After a good night's sleep, Coran and Allura landed the castle on the planet Arandor to establish a relationship with the people. Allura insisted that they check in on the Arandorians to ensure they were safe, but Keith was more interested in finding out if they had additional information on Lotor than anything. Lotor caught them in too many of his traps already and Keith wanted to put an end to it.

Arandor was an industrial planet filled with aliens toiling away on strange machines. Keith couldn’t even begin to guess their purposes, but they looked complex and important. They all had huge brass gears interconnecting together and black smokestacks puffing out from the top of long, cylindrical chimneys.

The Arandorians were a strong, stocky people. They all had dark gray skin with smudges of soot splattered across it. They had bulging muscles, glowing green eyes, and bald heads. They seemed genetically engineered for the hard labor that was so common place for the planet.

Their ruler, Hahhm, welcomed them with open arms and a three-course meal at his oddly beautiful castle. The building was made from the black stone of the planet’s mountains and was accented with intricate designs using the same brass as the gears on their machines. Keith would have really enjoyed it, had the threat of Lotor’s next attack not loomed over him.

Allura and Hahhm talked diplomatic pleasantries over the course of dinner, but Keith was more interested in the food, which was probably the best-tasting food he's had since he was flung into space. Hunk was practically glowing beside him.

“So, the Galra never attacked you? No one was hurt?” Keith heard Allura ask.

“No, Princess. We were merely threatened by four of their generals. They said to call for you or they would destroy our planet. My planet is peaceful and we do not have a military, so I could not ignore such a threat. I am sorry that it came at the cost of putting Voltron in danger,” Hahhm said, his eyes downcast. Keith looked up from his food and listened closely.

“No, please. Don’t apologize. I would have done the same for my people. It is Voltron’s sworn duty to defend the universe. You did the right thing,” Allura said. Hahhm smiled at her with kind eyes.

“You are incredibly generous, Princess Allura. Arandor would love to renew our alliance with the Voltron Coalition. We can not offer military support, but we have a score of talented blacksmiths and inventors. We can perhaps offer our expertise to help develop artillery should you require it.”

“You are too kind, Hahhm. Voltron will, of course, always come to your aid when you are in need of it,” Allura said and pulled out one of the small communicators they had been passing out to new alliances, “you can reach out to us using this.”

“Speaking of, how did you send out the distress signal in the first place?” Pidge asked.

“Arandor held an alliance with Voltron over 10,000 years ago. We installed a beacon, with the help of King Alfor, that would alert your vessel when activated. Of course, it was incredibly old and was not maintained well since we believed Voltron was gone forever, but it looks like it worked enough for you to find us,” Hahhm answered.

Keith tensed his hand underneath the large dining table. This was all well and good, but it didn’t get them any closer to Lotor.

“Can you describe the Galran generals that threatened you? Did they say anything else?” Keith asked, his tone noticeably less cordial than Allura’s. Niceties really weren’t his thing. Keith felt some flat looks coming from his teammates, but Hahhm didn’t seem to mind the line of questioning.

“Yes, of course. The Galran generals were...odd. None of them looked Galra. In fact, they all looked like vastly different species.”

“That sounds like Lotor’s gang all right,” Lance said, no doubt remembering the four female generals that attacked them before.

“Did they say anything about their leader? Anything about their plans?” Keith asked.

Hahhm shook his head, “No, I’m sorry. They only mentioned that they needed Voltron to come here. I wish I had something more useful to offer you.”

Keith huffed out a sigh and curled his fingers into tight fists. Another dead end.  

* * *

 

They took back to the skies that evening, all of them excited to get out of their armor and diplomacy outfits. Shiro suggested they meet back at the castle’s lounge to debrief and they all agreed.

Once they changed back into their regular clothes, they reconvened. Allura, Hunk, Lance, and Pidge all took residence on the couches, while Coran stood behind Allura. Shiro placed himself in front of the couches so he was easily seen and Keith planted himself against the back wall. Discussing Lotor made him too antsy to sit down. He crossed his arms to keep them still.

“Alright, so it looks like Lotor lured us out here, but why?” Shiro asked, opening the question up for discussion.

“I don’t know, man, but it’s not good. This guy has been throwing us for a loop since day one,” Hunk said.

“It’s true. Lotor has a plan and this ‘attack’ was certainly part of it,” Allura said.

Keith felt his jaw tighten.

 _He’s always one step ahead of us_ , Keith thought, remembering Allura telling him the same thing.

Pidge adjusted her glasses and crossed her arms.

“The question is, did we play into it? Did we give him exactly what he wanted?”

Shiro sighed.

“Probably. I don’t even know what he could have wanted from us and they only seemed interested in the Arandorians in so far as they could contact us.”

“I mean, isn’t it possible they were just trying to take us down?” Lance asked.

“I doubt it. They sent a swarm of their weakest sentry fighters. Lotor has already proven that he has much stronger artillery at his disposal. I don’t think he was seriously trying to destroy Voltron,” Allura said.

“What if…,” Pidge started and Keith could see the cogs working in her mind, “what if he was distracting us from something?”

“Like what?” Shiro asked.

“I don’t know. It could be _anything_ and we won’t know until it’s too late,” Pidge answered. The room went silent as the truth of Pidge’s words landed heavily on them.

“Fine,” Shiro said and they all snapped their heads up to look at him.

“Uh, ‘fine’ what?” Lance asked.

“Fine, we’ll let Lotor plan whatever he’s planning and while he’s doing that, we’ll be getting stronger. We gain more alliances and gather more resources, we train harder and unlock more of Voltron’s powers, and then when Lotor comes for us, we’re _ready_.”

Keith’s eyes widened and he pushed himself off the wall.

“Wait a second, _you don’t want to look for him_?” Keith asked, incredulous. The eyes of his fellow teammates locked on him.

“Keith, it’s not that I don’t _want_ to, I just don’t see how we can when we don’t have any leads,” Shiro said, his voice level and steady.

“Then we _find_ leads,” Keith said, a grumbling frustration pooling in his stomach. If he had to play nice with alien royalty while Lotor was wreaking havoc, he would go insane.

“Uh, how?” Hunk asked. The hairs on the back of Keith’s neck bristled at the question, but he was ready for it.

“We do some recon. We find a Galra ship and then look for any clues to Lotor’s whereabouts or his plans. We can’t do anything without more information.”

Shiro shook his head.

“Find a Galra ship, where?”

“The Galra are _everywhere,_ Shiro. It won’t be hard to find one,” Keith said.

“What makes you think a random Galra ship will have any information on Lotor? Lotor attacked a Galra base, remember? He’s probably not telling every Galra fleet where he is at all times,” Shiro said. Keith’s shoulders tensed. He knew there was logic in what Shiro was saying, but that didn’t stop Keith from hating that logic.

“That’s _exactly_ why I think they’ll have information. They’ll want to find him as much as we do.”

“But we don’t _know_ , Keith. I don’t want to risk putting anyone needlessly in danger for nothing,” Shiro said.

“It’s not for nothing! We need to retaliate already. We’re sitting ducks like this. We need to start playing offense or we’ll never get ahead of whatever he’s scheming,” Keith said, blood pounding in his ears.

“Keith, it’s too risky. I’m sorry, I know waiting around makes you anxious, but I think the best thing for Voltron right now is to build our alliances, just like we did with the Arandorians.”

“While we’re doing that Lotor could destroy a whole planet in that time. We can’t _risk_ waiting for Lotor to make the next move!” Keith said, his voice raising.

“It’s too dangerous. If you’re going to be a leader, you need to think about your _team_ , Keith,” Shiro snapped. It hit Keith like a dart to his chest. The force of the words physically pushed him back and Keith’s eyes widened. He had never heard Shiro use that tone of voice with him before. The sting lingered as Keith looked down at the floor with his fists clenched tight at his sides.

The room grew silent as Keith kept his mouth shut. He worried if he said anything else he’d say something he would really regret. His body tingled with frustrated confusion. Shiro and Keith had disagreed before, but Keith had never wanted to yell at him like he did now. It was an unwanted, ugly feeling.

The silence dragged on for a few moments longer until Lance broke it.

“Hey, uh, Shiro? You know I hate to agree with Keith and all, but I think he has a point,” Lance said and Keith almost got whiplash from how fast he lifted his head to look at him. Everyone else was looking at Lance as well, their eyes wide and mouths agape. Lance, however, was looking at Shiro with a serious face, his usual smile absent. Keith felt some of the anger and confusion dissolve into warm appreciation. He stared at Lance as he continued, “I don’t think we should just wait for Lotor to hurt people before we go after him.”

There was another pause as the room absorbed the fact that _Lance_ , of all people, was the one to side with Keith.

“But, Shiro has a point too. There’s no guarantee we can get useful intel from a Galra ship if we’re able to even _find_ one before Lotor strikes next. He could be planning his next move tomorrow for all we know,” Pidge offered, her voice easy and non-confrontational. Keith could tell it was an attempt to keep things going in a civil direction. Hunk let out a big sigh.

“Man, this _sucks_.”

Pidge and Lance mumbled sounds of agreement.

Allura took in a long inhale and stood up from her seat. The group turned to look at her.

“We should get some sleep. It’s getting late and I don’t think we’re going to make any more progress on the issue tonight.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Shiro said, his voice much more worn than before.

This left Keith unsatisfied, but he liked the idea of leaving the room as soon as possible. As the team began to shuffle from their dismissal, Keith’s eyes caught Shiro’s. He broke the eye contact quickly, moving for the door.

He left the room first, a strong desire to hit something burning at his knuckles.

* * *

 

Acxa took plenty of long, even breaths as she headed for the sky bay. The sky bay was one of Prince Lotor’s favorite places to think on their down time and she was certain she would find him there. She was not looking forward to finding him, however. She had just received some _distressing_ news from Op Zen and Prince Lotor would be less than pleased. Relaying bad news to Prince Lotor was one of her least favorite aspects of her job, but Acxa always did what was expected of her.

When she reached the sky bay doors, she made three decided knocks and waited.

“Come in,” said Prince Lotor’s voice from within the bay. Acxa allowed herself one last full breath and calmly entered the room.

The sky bay was a large open room with a single curved window that spanned from the tall ceiling to the floor. The room was so overwhelmingly covered in stars that it felt like walking into space itself. Acxa enjoyed the room, as it was undeniably beautiful, but the expanse of space only felt suffocating to her now.

Prince Lotor stood in the center of the room: his body at parade rest as he faced the stars with his back to Acxa. It was a pity to ruin the scene.

“Prince Lotor, I’m sorry to disturb you, but I’ve received some bad news from Commander Farzak at Op Zen,” Acxa said, making a conscious effort to keep her voice level and steady. Prince Lotor faced her.

“What is it?” he asked. His face was even and calm, but Acxa knew a storm was brewing beneath.

“Op Zen was infiltrated a few vargas ago by three rebels. They captured Queen Hema of Assix and...Shiro, the former Black Paladin of Voltron,” Acxa said, nerves tingling her spine as she let the words out.

Prince Lotor’s calm face was quickly transformed into a menacing one. His eyebrows knitted together and he bared his teeth.

“ _What_?” he growled.

“I’m sorry, sir. I know this interferes with your plans,” Acxa said, her heart stopping. Prince Lotor observed her for a moment, scowl still intact. For a moment she worried that Prince Lotor would enact punishment against her, but his face fell back into its usual easy expression. She let out a breath she was holding.

“That _is_ unfortunate news, but all is not lost. This just means we have to carry out our plan sooner than we had hoped. We can’t allow Voltron to know that the Shiro on their ship is an imposter before we acquire the Red Paladin.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Find the others and tell them to meet at the command deck. Then, we set a course for Gesperion immediately,” Prince Lotor said, passing Acxa on his way to the exit.

“Yes, sir.”

“And Acxa?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Send for Commander Farzak. I would like to _speak_ with him,” he said before leaving the bay.

“Yes, sir,” Acxa replied, knowing full well that Prince Lotor was going to do a lot more to Commander Farzak than speak with him.

* * *

 

Keith went straight to the training deck after the briefing. He needed some good, violent exercise to help him think and beating the pulp out the castle’s Gladiators was the best for that.

As he sparred with the Level Three Gladiator, his thoughts wandered to Shiro and the briefing. He realized that a lot of his anger was unfounded and that Shiro’s idea was _practical_ , even if he did completely disagree with it.

Guilt squirmed in Keith’s stomach like a couple of snakes fighting. He shouldn’t have snapped at Shiro just because they didn't agree. Keith didn’t get what he wanted, so he had a tantrum like some spoiled kid. The snakes at the pit of his stomach squirmed again.

And yet, Keith got the distinct feeling that something was _off_. Shiro was here, back with them, but Keith had never felt so far away from his mentor. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but there was a lack of warmth from Shiro that was unlike him. It didn’t feel like Shiro _cared_ the same way he had in the past.

With a lunge and a powerful swing of his Bayard, Keith knocked the Gladiator back off its feet.

"End training sequence," Keith said and the Gladiator stood up. It marched back to its base, while Keith wiped the sweat off of his brow with the back of his hand.

“I _knew_ you’d be here,” a voice said from the entrance of the training deck. Keith looked in the direction of the voice and his eyes grew wide as Lance made his way over to him.

“Lance?”

“Hey, so I have a serious question for ya: do you know _how_ to leave a room without dramatically storming off or is that just your default setting?” Lance asked, planting himself a few feet away from Keith. Keith put away his Bayard.

“What do you _want_ , Lance?” Keith asked, probably a bit more confrontational than Lance really deserved.

“I was just checking up on you, sheesh,” Lance said and Keith felt the tension in his face melt. Lance had that effect on him.

“I’m fine,” he said, his voice softer now.

"Didn't seem fine an hour ago. You were getting mad at Shiro. You never get mad at Shiro," Lance said and his perceptiveness surprised Keith. Lance was looking at him, but Keith couldn't meet his eyes. He sighed.

“I...I don’t know. I just hate waiting for Lotor to do something before _we_ do something,” Keith said, but he knew he was only telling half of the truth.

“I get it. I don’t really like it either, but hey, it’s not like forming alliances and junk is doing nothing. I mean, the Arandorians offered to make us weapons. That’s something, right?” Lance asked.

“It’s not that I think forming alliances is _bad_ , but it’s not what we should be doing right now. We need to go after him, Lance. And Shiro…” Keith trailed off. He wasn’t sure what was at the end of that sentence.

“And Shiro?” Lance asked, prompting him. Keith sighed. He figured he could talk to Lance about this since Shiro had treated him in a similarly cold way. Keith looked around the training deck before looking back at Lance.

"Can you keep this between us?" Keith asked, his voice lower. Lance's eyes widened and a devilish smile came over his face.

“Keith. Buddy. Pal. I live for secrets. What ya got?” Lance asked and Keith rolled his eyes.

“It’s not _gossip_ , Lance. It’s just…” Keith started, looking for the words, “does Shiro seem, I dunno, _weird_ to you?”

Lance smiled faded and he blinked at Keith. Lance crossed his arms but had the top arm raised so he could put the knuckle of his index finger against his chin. Keith felt his stomach do flips. Admitting that he had doubts in Shiro made him feel awful, but keeping those doubts buried felt worse.

Oh,” Lance said, his eyes looking at the ground.

“Yeah.”

Lance sighed.

“I--yeah, I’ve noticed something’s been weird. It’s like...I don’t know, the way he’s been talking to us or something? Like, I kinda couldn’t believe what he said to you earlier. Y’know, the whole ‘ _team_ ’ thing?”

“Yeah, that’s what I mean. I couldn’t believe what he said to you the other day either,” Keith said, a weight lifting off his chest. Lance took a hand to scratch at the base of his neck, his eyes still downcast.

“I mean, he’s been through a lot, maybe he still needs time to get back to himself, y’know?” Lance offered. Keith nodded. He had the same thought at some point, but it never quite seemed right. Shiro was never one to take it out on others. That was Keith’s area of expertise.

“It’s like...he doesn’t even trust me,” Keith said quietly and then felt his cheeks grow hot from the confession. He hadn’t planned on admitting something so vulnerable.

“He trusts you,” Lance said, his voice soft and kind. Keith had heard this voice a handful of times, but it always caught him off guard.

"But he won’t even listen to me. He wanted me to be the leader, but he hates all of my ideas. I don't get it. I don’t get what my role is here anymore. When we found Shiro I thought he’d just take his Lion back and everything would go back to normal, but they didn’t. I’m still piloting Black and I don’t know, It's like I'm the leader, but I'm not because _Shiro’s_ the leader. None of this makes any sense,” Keith said and the stress of the past month hit him hard. He kept his eyes on the floor as he realized he was saying too much. It was far too easy to unload on Lance, especially when he spoke in such a generous way. It was almost like they were friends.

 _Maybe we are_ , Keith thought and he liked the idea more than he was willing to admit.

“Dude, it’s okay,” Lance said and Keith, coming out of his reverie, found his blue eyes. They were warm, understanding. Keith stopped breathing. Lance continued, “we’re a bunch of teenagers flying giant space lions. _Literally_ , none of this makes sense.”

At that, Keith couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. He marvelled at how easily Lance could cut tension from the air.

“Can’t argue with you there,” Keith said and Lance smiled at him.

“Look, man, I know things are confusing right now, but it’ll be okay. We’re Voltron: Defenders of the Universe! We’ll figure it out.”

Keith felt his pulse quickening from the blood pounding in his ears. Sometimes, Lance would show the side of him that genuinely cared for everybody on the ship and when he did, it would knock the air right of Keith. He felt it first when Lance told him “I actually don’t hate you right now” back when they first began training together, but it didn’t hit him with full force until the day Lance told him that they “did make a good team” as Keith helped him up after he’d awoken from a coma. Keith mentally rolled his eyes at the memory, still offended that Lance claimed to have forgotten.

Still, he afforded Lance a small smile, “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Lance.”

Lance let his smile transform into a grin and raised his arms above his head stretch.

"We should head to bed, dude. It’s late and you need to shower. You reek,” he said through a yawn.

“Shut up, I do not,” Keith said, secretly worried he did. Lance turned away from him towards the exit.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Stinky,” Lance said, resting his hands on the back of his neck, his arms splayed out like wings from his head.

Keith had the sudden urge to stop him. Lance had done so much for him lately and Keith had done nothing for him in return. Keith figured he should at least voice his gratitude.

“Lance?”

Lance stopped and turned his head back to see him.

“Hm?”

“Um, look, about what Shiro said--” Keith started, but Lance stopped him.

“No, no, no, no, nope! I know where you’re going with this and no. You do not have to do this, Keith. I’m _fine_.”

“But--”

“No ‘but’s! Dude, Iverson said way worse stuff to me on the daily back at the Garrison, so don’t even worry about it. I appreciate it and I appreciate you talking to Shiro, but you don’t need to pity me--”

“I don’t _pity_ you!” Keith shouted, affronted by the accusation.

“I just mean--”

“You think I was _pitying_ you?”

"Uh, yeah! What else were you doing?” Lance asked, his eyes narrowed. Keith hadn’t expected that question.

“I--I don’t know, but I don’t _pity_ you, okay? I just didn’t want you to, I don’t know, feel bad or something,” Keith said his arms flying up in frustration.

“Sounds a lot like pity to me!” Lance said and Keith groaned.

"You’re _impossible_!”

“Well, _you’re_ just trying to be nice!”

“That’s _bad_?!”

“ _NO!_ ” Lance shouted. They were both shouting now.

“Then, what’s your problem?!”

“I don’t want you coddling me!”

“Well, maybe if you gave me like, half a second, I could actually _thank you_ like I planned to, but no, _you_ had to turn this into a fight!” Keith yelled.

“Me?! _You_ turned this into a--wait, what?” Lance said, his eyebrows turning from sharp points to soft arches. Keith’s fists were clenched at his sides. His face, already red from yelling, was slowly turning scarlet as he realized his confession. His already pounding heart kicked into second gear and his mouth went dry.

“I, um--well, _yeah_ ,” Keith stuttered. He inhaled and decided to own up to it, “Over the past few weeks you were-- _helpful_ and so, thank you. For your help.”

Lance cocked his head.

“Helpful?”

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. He was going to have to spell this out for him, wasn’t he?

“Yes, Lance, _helpful_. Like, when I didn’t want to pilot the Black Lion and you convinced me or when we were chasing Lotor and you stopped me from splitting up the team,” Keith said and he could feel his cheeks burning. It only got worse when Lance gave him a blinding smile. Keith decided it was time to dart for the door.

“Whoa! Where you goin’? You haven’t thanked me for all that great stuff I did!” Lance said, hot on his heels.

“I did _so_!” Keith said, exiting the training deck.

“Aww c’mon, Keith! Say it one more time!”

“No!”

“Aww, but why--” Lance started, but was cut off by the sound of the castle’s alarms.

“Paladins! Come to the Bridge immediately! We’re getting a distress signal!” Coran said through the castle’s comm system.

Keith and Lance looked at each other for a brief moment and ran towards the bridge.

* * *

 

Keith and Lance were the first ones to the Bridge, but the others were close behind. As soon as they were all present, Coran patched the distress signal through.

A female alien with mossy green skin and thin gray hairs lining her body showed up on the bridge’s main monitor. Keith recognized her as Empress Jyadra from the planet Gesperion, a planet they had formed an alliance with a couple weeks back.

“Paladins of Voltron!” Empress Jyadra called, her face knotted with worry.

“Empress Jyadra, we’re here! What’s wrong?” Allura asked.

“Please, it’s my people! Galra have attacked our planet and are holding my castle hostage. They have sentries holding some of my citizens at gunpoint. Please, help us!” Empress Jyadra said, her voice a panicked whisper. Keith realized she hadn’t been captured yet and she must have sneaked off to get help.

“We’re coming to you now. Just hold on and keep yourself safe,” Allura said, already standing at her station.

“Please, hurry! They’ll--” Empress Jyadra started, but the scene changed from her face to video of the ground. They heard a muffled scream and Empress Jyadra say “No, please! Stop!” before the feed cut out completely. Keith heard Hunk gasp behind him.

Allura turned towards the rest of the Paladins with fierce determination in her eyes

“Get to your lions,” she said and then opened a wormhole to the planet Gesperion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! The set-up is basically done now. Next chapter: quiznak hits the fan ("I don't think you're using that word correctly").
> 
> Again, if y'all are liking this please let me know with kudos and comments. It really helps keep me motivated and lets me know what's working! 
> 
> So, my goal is to update weekly, but I make no promises. 
> 
> Got questions for me? Wanna say "hi"? Come see me on [Tumblr](http://thunder-dor.tumblr.com/)! See you in ch.3!!


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Voltron aids the planet Gesperion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Welcome to chapter three! Couple of things:
> 
> 1.) This chapter is about 6400 words. They can't all be 10k monsters. Also, lol consistent chapter lengths will not be a thing  
> 2.) Thank you sooooo much for all the kind comments and kudos so far. We're only on chapter three and this has quickly become one of my most popular fics. Thank you guys, it really means a lot to me that you're reading.  
> 3.) If you're into mood music, I listened to Imagine Dragons album "Evolve" a lot while I was writing so  
> 2.) Big huge thanks to [Emma](http://violaeadde.tumblr.com/) for beta-ing and pointing out when I describe chest pains too many times lol <3  
> 3.) This chapter gets pretty intense so I'm going to put a couple of trigger warnings below. If you would like to avoid spoilers, then skip right to the chapter.
> 
> Warnings:  
> a.) a character is forced to put a blaster to their head against their will. They are not harmed.  
> b.) a character gets put in a choke hold until they black out  
> (Let me know if you ever need any other sort of warnings or if there is a way to make these more accessible for you)
> 
> Thank you so much! Please enjoy chapter 3!

**Dark** **Blue**

_Chapter Three  
_

Empress Jyadra fell to the ground with a solid _thump_. Narti pulled her hand back and flexed it a few times to rid the lingering static feeling that clung to her veins. Her mind control powers didn’t hurt her, but the physical sensation was unpleasant. Controlling Empress Jyadra was particularly bothersome as she proved to have a stronger will than Narti imagined. Those with strong wills were much more resistant to her magic and controlling such beings strained her body.    

“Impressive work, as always Narti.”

Kova turned her head towards the voice, but Narti knew it was Prince Lotor before she saw him. She’d recognize that voice anywhere. Kova’s eyes zeroed in on the prince allowing Narti to turn towards him.

“I must say, that really was _quite_ the show you put on for the Paladins. I’m sure they’re creating a wormhole even as _I_ speak,” Lotor continued, one side of his lips turned up slightly.

Narti nodded at Prince Lotor, pleased that her actions were satisfactory to him.

Narti and Prince Lotor were in Empress Jyadra’s private living quarters within her castle on the planet Gesperion. Gesperion was a desert planet with little in way of scenic views, but Empress Jyadra’s castle was a sight all its own. On the outside, it was just a tall castle made out of clay bricks the color of the sand, but on the inside, it was lavish and bursting with color. Pastel silks lined the walls, silver ornaments decorated the halls, and jeweled chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Soft pink silks and rose gold accents covered Empress Jyadra’s personal quarters.

 _What a frivolous ruler_ , Narti thought, looking at the unconscious Empress through Kova’s eyes.

Shuffling feet approached the chamber and Kova turned her eyes to the door. Acxa, Ezor, and Zethrid entered at once and stole the quiet with their approach.

“Prince Lotor, we have placed several sentries on the grounds of the castle and four with civilians in the battlements. It would be foolish not to use their marksman,” Acxa said.

“Yup! There’s even a couple of tower-rock thingies where the Red Paladin can get a good vantage point!” Ezor said, her voice chipper.

“They’re called spires, Ezor,” Acxa corrected. Ezor groaned.

“Who _cares_? You knew what I was talking about.”

“Enough. Ezor, you know what to do once the Paladins land?” Prince Lotor asked.

“Yeah! I hide until the Red Paladin has taken out all sentries with hostages. Once he’s told his team, I knock him out and bring him back to the comet ship. Easy-peasy,” Ezor said with a smile Narti could hear.

“Argh! Why can’t _I_ knock out the Red Paladin?!” Zethrid whined.

“Because we need him _alive_ , Zethrid. Don’t worry, your day will come soon.” Lotor said and Zethrid let out a grunt.

“Vol-Voltron will...stop you.”

The group looked up in surprise at the interruption and then looked down at its source: Empress Jyadra. She tried to lift her body up from the floor but barely managed to get her torso up. Her arms shook underneath her own weight and she gritted her teeth in either pain or rage.

“What was that, Empress?” Lotor asked, a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

“They’ll stop you. You won’t get away with this,” The Empress said, her voice straining, but gaining strength.

“Hm,” Lotor said, before turning to Narti, “Narti, why don’t we demonstrate what we’ve been working on for your fellow generals?”

A shiver of dread went through Narti’s spine. Prince Lotor and Narti had been practicing, but lending her powers to him still drained her. He ignored the protests of her body because If Prince Lotor wished it, then she would comply. She nodded and it won her a smirk from him.  

“Zethrid, Ezor, would you hold the Empress up for us?” Prince Lotor asked. Kova looked from Empress Jyadra to Zethrid. The Empress’s eyes were wide with fear, while Zethrid’s glittered with excitement. Zethrid and Ezor picked the Empress up easily by her underarms. Prince Lotor positioned himself behind her and Narti joined him. Narti pressed her hand on the Empress’s spine and felt her tremble at the touch.

Narti poured her energy into the Empress, commanding the body to stand on its own.

“You can let go now,” Prince Lotor said to Ezor and Zethrid. They cautiously stepped away and watched as Narti continued to perform her magic. The Empress did not fall. Prince Lotor continued, “As you can see, Narti can control the bodies of those she touches.”

Prince Lotor lifted a hand towards the same spot on Empress Jyadra’s back but did not touch her. Instead, his hand was splayed open-palm at least a foot from her spine.

“It’s quite useful, but it has limitations. Narti can not lose contact, for instance, or the spell is broken,” he said. The three generals listened intently, their eyes on Prince Lotor’s hand. “ _But_ , when Narti’s magic is mixed with the power of Quintessence…”

A bolt of deep purple Quintessence shot from Prince Lotor’s hand into Empress Jyadra’s spine, just above where Narti touched her. Narti could feel the white hot magic that shot from her arm into The Empress mingle with the electric feeling of Prince Lotor’s Quintessence. She willed her magic to meld with his, forming a bond between the three of them. The two magics merged with the Empress’s own being and Narti took her hand away, giving Prince Lotor full control. The Empress still stood with only Prince Lotor’s support.

“It allows me a hands-off approach,” Prince Lotor said. The other three generals gasped at the Empress. Her yellow, pupil-less eyes now glowed with the same purple as Prince Lotor’s Quintessence. Narti flexed her hand again and tried to rid her arm of the poisonous feeling that went up and down it.

“She’ll do whatever you want now?” Ezor asked.

“Let’s try, shall we? Empress Jyadra, stand in front of Acxa,” Prince Lotor commanded. Empress Jyadra, without missing a beat, walked right up to Acxa. Acxa stared at the empress, her eyebrows raised, but her face otherwise even.

“Good, now Empress, take Acxa’s blaster from her.”

Acxa grabbed her blaster from its holster and let the Empress take it from her.

“Now, stand over there,” Lotor said, pointing at a spot away from all of them across the room.

“Wonderful. Now, press the blaster to your temple.”

She did and the contact caused her body to tremble violently.

“What you’re seeing is Empress Jyadra’s _will_ fighting the effects of the spell. It seems fairly strong, which would be troublesome if we were taking her on long missions, but since we’ll be done with her shortly, it’s of little consequence,” Prince Lotor continued.

The generals looked from Lotor back to the shaking Empress in silence.

“Empress, place your finger on the trigger.”

She did. Fresh tears spilled from her eyes.

Prince Lotor remained silent for several more seconds.

“Drop the blaster, Empress.”

The blaster hit the floor with a deafening _clack_ and Prince Lotor released his hold on her. Empress Jyadra crumpled to the floor, her body now convulsing with hacking sobs. Prince Lotor walked over and squatted beside her. She lifted her head to meet his, her face a mess of twisted features and tears.

“Next time you speak out of turn, Empress, I won’t be so merciful.”

 

* * *

 

They arrived in Gesperion’s orbit within minutes of Empress Jyadra’s plea for help. All of the Paladins flew out of the castle and headed for the planet’s surface. Coran and Shiro decided to stay within the castle above Gesperion’s orbit to keep guard of the atmosphere.

They descended upon the planet at a designated coordinate away from the castle. Allura had suggested that they leave their Lions and use the pods to approach the castle more inconspicuously.

As Red’s paws pressed against the hard, rocky surface of Gesperion, Lance felt a stone sink in his stomach. Nothing about this situation felt good.

Lance moved to the seat of his pod and Red lowered him to the ground. The five Paladins got into formation and drove toward the castle.

“So, we’re all aware that this is a trap, right? Because this is definitely a trap,” Pidge said, her voice sharp over the comm. Keith sighed.

“ _Yes_ , Pidge.”

“It may be a trap, but the threat to the Gesperions is real. They’re our allies. We can’t abandon them now,” Allura said.

 _Allura really is a Princess_ , Lance thought, ever impressed with her unflappable sense of duty.

“Allura’s right. We can’t just take off now,” Lance said.

“I have a bad feeling about this, guys” Hunk said.  

“Look, we _all_ have a bad feeling about this, Hunk. We just need to be extra careful and watch each other’s backs,” Keith said with a full, confident voice. Lance noticed that this was his “I’m-the-leader-now-so-I-need-to-sound-like-one” voice and he used it when he wanted to up the team’s morale.

 _Fake it until you make it, I guess_ , Lance thought with a private smirk. He made a mental note to make fun of Keith for it later.

On the horizon, Lance saw the top of Empress Jyadra’s castle begin to appear. As they got closer to the castle, Keith ordered them behind a tall rock formation that would cover their pods. Lance parked his pod next to Hunk’s and jumped out. He watched Keith fly up to the top of the rock formation using his jetpack, then followed him with the rest of the team.

Lance looked over the near-barren wasteland that was Gesperion: a planet made out of sturdy yellow rock and a landscape only defined by the occasional rock formation or spire. Empress Jydra’s castle, being the tallest, grandest landmark in the area, stood out amongst the mundane scenery. It was made of the same rock as the entire planet but was built into a castle that reminded Lance of the ones he’d seen at big amusement parks. In front of the castle was a small village with dozens of clay huts, which were situated around a single, large watering hole in the center of the little village. This was all surrounded by a ten-foot clay wall that’s only entrance was the thick, wooden gate on the south end.

Lance remembered their last visit here: the Galra had sent a test Robeast to the tiny planet and Voltron was lucky to be near enough to the planet to pick up on the monster’s readings. They swooped in, saved the day, and the Gesperions threw them a party. It was a small party, however, as there are only around one hundred Gesperions and most of them were castle staff.

Still, they were a kind people and Lance’s heart ached at the memory of Empress Jyadra’s panicked face when she asked for help.

Lance used the zoom feature on his visor to get better visuals on the castle. He let out a small sigh as he spotted several sentries guarding the castle. There were two guarding the border wall’s gates and then a large handful right in front of the doors of the castle. Lance then searched the battlements and felt his heart leap into his throat. There were four sentries on different levels and sides of the battlement holding scared Gesperions at gunpoint.

“Do you guys see that?” Lance said, pointing up at the battlements.

“We _must_ be careful. If we make a misstep those sentries will hurt the Gesperions,” Allura said. The five of them contemplated in silence.

Lance searched the landscape again. There was a spire with a flat-top on the southeast side outside of the border wall. It was a perfect vantage point and Lance grinned as a plan formed in his mind.

“Guys, what about this? You see those two sentries at the gate? They’re close enough that I can snipe them from here. Once they’re down, you guys split up and go through the gates, then swoop along the wall from either side. Once you get to edges of the castle, lay low and then I’ll use that rock-tower thing--”

“It’s a spire,” Pidge corrected.

“ _Whatever_. I’ll use that _spire_ as a vantage point and _pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!_ I’ll take the sentries with hostages out and then you guys get the jump on all the other sentries in front of the castle when I give you the signal,” Lance said, using big hand gestures to articulate his points, “We save the day and Lancey Lance gets thrown a parade.”

Lance punctuated the last point with a sparkling smile.

It won him some blank looks, but then Hunk moved to put a hand on his shoulder.

“Buddy, it’s not a bad plan, but you’d be doing that without any back-up.”

“Yeah, and you’d have to take out those four sentries before they noticed the others were down. Can you take them down that fast?” Keith asked.

“I can do it!” Lance said with a pout as he crossed his arms.

“Lance, I’m sure you can, but that still doesn’t change that you’d be up there alone,” Allura said. Lance let his arms fall as he looked at her, his face now serious.

“It’s the only plan that makes sense. How else are we going to get the sentries with hostages?”

“I’ll stand guard while you take them out,” she offered.

“But you’re like, the strongest out of all of us. You need to take down the big group in front of the castle! Plus, if you do that someone has to go alone on one side or three of you come up from one side and you lose the advantage of surrounding them. It makes the most sense for me to stay in the sky,” Lance argued.

“Have we forgotten that this is _definitely_ a trap? Someone being on their own doesn’t scream _extra careful_ to me,” Pidge said.

“Yeah, I’m with Pidge,” Hunk said, fidgeting with his hands. Lance looked at Keith and Keith looked back at him with hard, steadfast eyes.

“Keith, _I can_ _do this_ ,” Lance said, determined to meet Keith’s gaze with equal seriousness. Keith’s dark violet irises gave away nothing as he contemplated and Lance stopped breathing.

“Okay.”

“Keith-” Allura started.

“Lance is right. The safest thing for us and the civilians is if the four of us are on the ground and he’s in the sky.”

A wave of warmth crashed over Lance’s chest. Keith was trusting him and Lance couldn’t help but grin. Their eyes met and Keith’s widened just a fraction. His eyes darted away from Lance and back at the castle grounds.

“You can get the two sentries at the gate from here?” Keith asked, not looking at Lance.

“Yeah!”

“Okay, once you take them out, head to the vantage point. Pidge, you’ll come with me. We’ll sneak along the eastern side of the wall, while Allura and Hunk--you guys take the west side. We don’t move until Lance has taken down the four sentries with the hostages. Got it?” Keith asked and the other four Paladins nodded. Lance pulled out his Bayard and it took its sniper rifle form.

“Alright! You turkeys ready to see the Sharpshooter in action?!” Lance asked, getting in position.

“Just _do it_ , Lance,” Keith said and Lance could practically hear him rolling his eyes.

Lance looked through his Bayard’s scope and found the two sentries in front of the gate. As he lined up the shot, an erratic buzz rattled around in his rib cage. He talked a big game, but faced with the actual execution, doubt flooded his mind.

He knew he was a good shot, that much was true. It was his speed that he worried about. If he didn’t take down those sentries in quick succession, they’d alert the others and potentially hurt the hostages. The buzzing in his chest intensified.

He took a deep breath in and practiced moving from one sentry to the other. He was surprised by how easy it was to line up the second shot, but he worried that was only true in practice and not execution.

Lance tightened the grip on his rifle. He couldn’t think like that. Not now. Not when he basically begged to be allowed to do this and the team was counting on him. He inhaled, and then lined up the first shot, for real this time.

He exhaled, then pulled the trigger.

_One._

Inhale. He adjusted his aim in a flash and found the second sentry, then exhaled as he pulled the trigger again.

_Two._

He held his breath as he assessed his work.

The two sentries were a crumpled mass on the ground in front of the gates. Hunk let out an enthusiastic holler and Lance let out the breath he stifled.

“Alright, let’s go,” Keith said, motioning forward. Allura, Hunk, and Pidge jumped off the rock formation and floated down, their jetpacks activated. Keith paused and briefly put a hand on Lance’s shoulder.

“Good work.”

Then, he was right behind the others. Lance felt the corner of his lips pull upwards without permission.

He watched the four of them head to the gate, eventually splitting into their teams on either side of it. Lance followed their lead but headed to the vantage point instead. When he landed on the ground he ran to it, the adrenaline from his “kills” still present in his blood.

The run from the rock formation to the vantage point was longer than he expected and his legs began to ache. His breath grew shallow, but he pushed through until his fingertips were able to touch the spire. As he took in loud, shallow breaths, Lance took in the vantage point.

It was as tall as a three story building but was only as wide as their pods. Lance worried about climbing it, as the jetpacks really only provided one good jump and wouldn’t clear the entire spire. As he looked the spire over, he was pleasantly surprised to find that it had plenty of rocks to grab and place his feet on. There were even a couple spots where the rock jutted out to reveal a flat surface he could stand on.

Lance activated his jetpack and took a bounding jump onto the spire. His hands found stable rocks to latch onto, but his feet struggled. They dangled and twitched trying to find something solid to hold onto. Lance’s arms screamed in protest and panic spiked in Lance’s chest. After a couple beats of struggling, his right foot found a hole to slip into and the left found solid footing soon after. Lance let out a sigh.

 _As soon as we get back, I’m forcing Shiro to spill on his arm routine_ , Lance thought as a picture of the robust man’s physique came into his mind. He doubted Shiro would have any trouble holding himself up on a giant rock wall. Lance, now overcome with a grumbling jealousy, inched his way up to the top of the spire.

Mercifully, the rest of the climb was filled with easy-to-reach holes and stable rocks to grab. Lance reached the top faster than he expected, but that didn’t stop him from dropping onto the flat-top with a grateful sigh.

“Hallelujah,” he said with a small smile. He pulled himself up and assessed the situation from his new vantage point.

He couldn’t see the rest of the team, but he got a better look at the sentries in front of the castle doors. Lance did a quick count of them.

“You guys in position yet?” Lance asked into his comm.

“Still coming around. We should be there soon,” Pidge whispered.

“Us too,” Allura said.

“Okay, well there’s twenty sentries on the ground, so be careful. Let me know when you’re in position” Lance said.

“Ten-four,” Keith said.

As they moved, Lance pulled out his Bayard again. He kneeled and positioned the rifle so he could easily see out the scope. He hovered the crosshair above one of the sentries with hostages. A terrible shiver, like lightning, went through his body. What if he hit one of the Gesperions? If he was even a little off he could hurt them, so he had to be perfect and Lance knew very well that he was not perfect.

 _You can’t do this right now_ , he told himself, praying the ugly feelings would go away. He came up with this plan, this was all on him. He asked the team to put faith in him and they _did_. He couldn’t back out now. He pressed all the negative thoughts down like trash in a trash compactor. They were still there, but it made room for him to focus on his shots.The four sentries were situated like the corners of a rectangle in relation to each other. There were two sentries on the west and east side of the castle. On each side, one was on a higher level, while the second was on the lower level directly below. The vantage point was on the southwestern side of the grounds, so he had a clearer shot of the western sentries. The eastern sentries were at an angle, making the shot more complicated than he would have liked.  

Lance lined up the shots on the eastern sentries and gritted his teeth. It was possible, but it would be difficult.

 _You can do this. You can do this. You can do this,_ he repeated to himself. He practiced switching targets in quick succession like he had with the gate sentries. He started with the bottom-east sentry, then went up to the top-eastern one. Next, he’d swivel to the top-western sentry and end with the sentry below it.

He cycled through this pattern several times, the nausea in his stomach abating.

“We’re in position,” Hunk said in a low whisper and Lance’s nausea came back.

“We’re here too,” Pidge said.

“Lance, whenever you’re ready,” Keith said.

Lance swallowed thickly and forced himself to breathe.

“Ten-four,” he said.

It was time.

Lance placed the crosshair over the top-eastern sentry. He inhaled. Iverson

always told them that “a shot is only as good as the breath that goes with it”. When he heard that, it reminded Lance of the way swimmers carefully curate their breaths depending on the stroke. Swimming was something Lance was good at and so was shooting. Even Iverson admitted that Lance had good form back at the Garrison.

He exhaled.

 _You’re a good shot. You’re good at this. You got this. You got this_ , he thought as a last ditch effort to give himself confidence before he took the shot. His finger wrapped around the trigger once more.

He inhaled and on the exhale he took the first shot.

_One._

Inhale. He moved up to the top-eastern sentry. Exhale.

_Two._

Inhale. Lance craned his body to line up the shop with the top-western sentry and on an exhale, he pulled the trigger.

_Three._

A final inhale. He dipped his rifle to the western sentry below. A final exhale and a final shot.

_Four._

Lance immediately let down his rifle and zoomed in on the four spots where the sentries once stood. There were four Gesperions looking a little spooked, but alive and no sentries visible. Lance’s desire to vomit nearly doubled with the sheer power of his relief. He could feel his hands trembling, but an uneven smile bloomed on his face.

“You guys are clear. All sentries are down and hostages safe,” Lance said into the comm, his voice shakier than he would have liked.

“Great job, Lance,” Keith said and if Lance didn’t know better, he’d almost say that the team leader sounded proud. How about that?

While Lance took a moment to imagine what Keith’s face looked like when he said that, something moved behind him, making a sound like shifting rock. He turned to look behind himself but saw nothing.

“Huh?” he said and without warning, something forced the helmet off of his head like a vengeful specter. It flew high into the sky and then fell to the ground below with a loud _clack_.

Lance looked around himself and again, saw _nothing_.

“Wha-” he started, but was cut off by strong muscle wrapping around his throat. He felt his back hit the wall of someone else’s chest as his hands instinctively went for the arm around his neck. The arm only pressed harder into him. It crushed into his larynx and Lance’s eyes widened at the sudden lack of oxygen. His lungs panicked and grabbed for air, but he couldn’t reach it. He scratched and pulled at the arm, desperate to get free of its grip.

Lance tried to get a look at his attacker, his head making a weak attempt to move. Through the small movement and the use of his peripherals, he was able to catch a glance of his attacker. His eyes widened further as he realized it was one of Lotor’s generals. She had caught him and Lance realized with another bolt of panic that she was here to kill him. He kicked and thrashed against her as hard as he could. It was no use, however, as the absence of air was already weakening him and he was no longer a match for her.

And it was happening too fast. It was too fast for him to properly fight back, too fast for him to really take in what was happening. It was too fast for his life to flash before his eyes, to remember his friends and family.

She tightened her choke hold and Lance’s vision started to blur. Grey dots danced in front of him and he knew it was over.

He stopped breathing and darkness overcame him.

 

* * *

  

“HA!” Keith shouted as he thrust his Bayard into the chest of the nearest sentry. The sentry sparked and sputtered until it fell to the ground with a satisfying crash. Keith swung himself around to slice into the neck of a sentry to his left. The cut was clean and the sentry’s head went flying into the fray.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a sentry aim it’s blaster at him. Keith raised his shield in defense, but it was unnecessary as Hunk obliterated the sentry with his blaster. Hunk gave him a smile and a thumb’s up which Keith returned.

As Keith lunged for the next enemy, he saw Allura take out three sentries with several well-aimed swipes of her Bayard. Adrenaline coursed through him and his chest filled with an unstoppable confidence. The sentries outnumbered them five-to-one, but Keith felt invincible. He had combat skills he could rely on and a team that had his back no matter what. If there was anything he liked about being a Paladin of Voltron, it was the high of a battle he knew he could win.

Keith tore through another sentry, while Pidge had somehow used her Bayard to tie three sentries together by their feet. Hunk used the opportunity to blow them all up with a single blast from his Bayard. A group of four had surrounded Allura and Keith ran towards them. He made a running leap and plunged his Bayard deep into one of the sentry’s back. Allura used the distraction to her advantage and slammed the tail of her Bayard against another sentry with devastating force. The sentry closest to Keith pointed a blaster in his face, so he dropped to the floor and swiped the sentry’s feet from under him. Keith, now towering over the sentry, stabbed it in its center.

When Keith looked back up, Allura had taken down the fourth sentry that used to surround her. Satisfied with Allura’s safety, Keith scanned the area for his next target. All he found was a wasteland of metal and exposed wire from robot corpses. Pidge and Hunk ran over to him and Allura, their breath both labored.

“We did it!” Hunk said, smiling as he huffed.

“Come on, we can’t celebrate yet,” Keith said, motioning for them to follow him into the castle.  They obediently followed.

The doors to the castle opened without resistance and the castle was as excessive in fine materials as Keith remembered it. Nothing seemed disturbed, but it was as silent as a tomb inside.

“We should search for the castle inhabitants,” Allura said.

“Right,” Keith agreed.

“HEY! IT’S VOLTRON! WE’RE HERE TO SAVE YOU!” Hunk hollered and the other three paladins whipped their heads toward him.

“Hunk!” Allura said, her tone admonishing. Hunk shrugged his shoulder and raised his palms to his side.

“What? Just trying to be efficient.”

“Yes, but we have no idea if--”

“V-Voltron?” asked a small voice.

The four Paladins looked at each other with widened eyes, but then looked in the direction of the voice.

Peeking from behind the entrance archway of the castle’s ballroom was the head of a young Gesperion girl. She blinked up at them with big yellow eyes and, after a moment, decided it was safe to come out. She was a little smaller than Pidge, had skin the color of moss, and had jet black hair that was tied behind her ears in a small ponytail. Allura approached the girl first.

“Hello, I’m Princess Allura, I’m a Paladin of Voltron. Are you hurt at all?”

The girl shook her head.

“Could you tell me your name?” Allura asked. The girl nodded.

“I’m Jai-el. I work in the castle. They came and pushed all the servants out, but I hid. You have to help Empress Jyadra! I think they took her to her chambers. Please, I couldn’t do anything for her!” the girl said, tears welling in her eyes. Her hands reached out for Allura’s with a plea and the Princess was quick to take them.

“I’m sure you did everything you could. Empress Jyadra will just be glad you’re safe. Jai-el, can you please take us to her?” Allura asked. Jai-el’s eyes widened, but then her brows furrowed in determination.

“This way,” she said, going ahead and pointing to a grand staircase. The four Paladins followed her, their Bayards at the ready. Jai-el took them up two flights of stairs and then down a long hallway. At the end of the hallway was a large double door decorated with ornate carvings painted in excruciating detail.

“This is it,” Jai-el said. Allura went to the door and attempted to pull the golden handles, but the doors wouldn’t budge.

“Hunk,” Keith prompted. Hunk stepped up and pointed his Bayard at the handles of the door.

“‘Kay, get behind me!” Hunk ordered and they all shifted a distance away from him. Hunk shot the door and the impact reverberated the walls with a _bang_. The doors swung open as the handles and lock were completely demolished.

Keith was the first one to run in. He scanned the room, looking for enemies first, but only found Empress Jyadra tied up and gagged on her large, plush bed. She was wiggling fiercely against her confines and was mumbling into the gag. Her eyes were large and pleading, while her long black hair knotted and frayed around her.

“Empress Jyadra!” Jai-el cried from behind Keith. She ran to the Empress and went right for the ropes tied around her arms. Keith made for the cloth that was gagging her and took it off.

“Are you-” he started, but the Empress cut him off.

“It was a trap! Paladins of Voltron, Prince Lotor hopes to take your Red Paladin. They forced me to bring you here with their magic and they left several doboshes ago. They have something terrible planned! You must go after them!” Empress Jyadra said, despair clear in her eyes.

Keith looked at her with a wide-eyed expression, his stomach plummeting to the floor faster than a stone. He straightened to his full height and yelled into his comm.

“Lance?! Lance, where are you?!”

“Wait, wait, wait, they’re trying to kidnap _Lance_?” Hunk asked, his voice filled with panic and some, unfamiliar harsh emotion that Keith could hardly process.

“ _Lance_ , _answer me_!” Keith said into the comm, the muscles in his chest twisting so tightly that he feared he’d have trouble breathing.

“And we left him _alone_?!” Hunk said and Keith was very concerned Hunk was going to start crying right then and there. Keith ran.

He didn’t bother to tell the others to come with him. He didn’t care. He just had to get to Lance. Lance was in trouble. Lance wasn’t answering. He hadn’t said anything since he took out the sentries. Keith hadn’t even bothered to check in with him.

“Team! What’s going on? Is everyone alright? We just got visuals on Lotor’s comet ship. Get back to your Lions immediately,” said Shiro’s voice through the comms.

 _No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,_ Keith thought as he ran as fast as he could out of the castle.

“Shiro! You need to stall them. They have Lance. They took Lance!” Keith said, his voice weak and cracking as he ran.

“They _what_?!”

“Don’t let them leave, Shiro!” Keith said.

“This is bad. This is so, so bad,” Pidge said. Keith almost growled back a biting response but focused on running. _Of course, it was bad_.

It was so, so bad.

And it was Keith’s fault.

The realization cracked his chest open in the most violent way. He should never have left a teammate without backup. They knew this was a trap. The others warned him, but he _didn’t listen_.

Keith ran. He ran through the castle grounds, where scared Gesperions began appearing again. He ran through the gates and past the crumpled heaps of the first two sentries Lance took out. He saw the vantage point where Lance should have been. He ran to it but saw no lanky figure on it. As he ran closer a flash of white and blue caught his eye.

Lance’s helmet.

Keith clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.

He went to the helmet and picked it up. The visor was cracked and it looked like it had taken a nasty fall or one too many blows. Keith’s hands tightened around it.

“ _Lance_!” he cried to the open desert, begging he would be heard. There was no answer and his stomach lurched with violent force.

 _All my fault_ , he thought as he ran again. He wanted to keep searching, wanted to make sure Lance wasn’t injured somewhere on the barren planet, but they had to get to Lotor’s ship, had to stop them. He headed for his Lion’s pod with Lance’s helmet still clenched between his fingers.

As he was nearing his pod, he saw that the others were behind him. Keith jumped in his pod and started driving to his Lion. Sitting in the pod allowed him to catch his breath which was shallow and labored, but it also let the reality of the situation sink in.

_Lotor took Lance._

Keith’s lips curled up into a snarl.

“Paladins! Please, hurry! Lotor’s ship is too fast for the castle’s weaponry,” Coran said through the comm.

“They’re doing a number on the particle barrier too,” Shiro said, the usual calm absent from his voice.

“We’re coming. I’m almost there. Don’t let them get away,” Keith all but growled into the comm. Keith felt a sickening panic creep up from his stomach into his throat like black bile. They had to get to their Lions. They had to take out Lotor’s ship. They had to get Lance back.

“Why won’t this stupid pod go faster,” he mumbled, trying to push down the urge to slam his fist against the controls. He so badly wanted to throw something, punch something, destroy something--anything to distract him from what he was feeling.

Finally, after what felt like years, the pod neared the Lions. As he got close, Red caught his eyes and suddenly, white hot anger mixed in with the pain and panic burning through his body.

 _You didn’t save him_ , he thought, sending a vicious glare towards the Red Lion whose red particle barrier was still up.

Keith’s pod entered the ramp into the Black Lion and he jumped out of its seat as soon as he was able. He rushed to the cockpit, his hands twitching and he sighed with the smallest sense of relief when he reached it.

“Let’s go!” Keith said as soon as he grabbed Black’s controls. As they lifted into the air, Keith saw the other Paladins’ pods drive into the Lions. They wouldn’t be far behind.

Black shot into the atmosphere and went right for the Castleship. It still had its particle barrier up, but there were gaping holes in it. Coran and Shiro were still firing and Keith followed the trajectory of the blasts.

There, in open space, was Lotor’s giant comet ship. Without a second thought, Keith lunged for it. The comet ship had taken notice and began flying away from the Black Lion. It didn’t go after the Castleship, it simply raced off into the expanse of space. Keith had no intention of letting it get away.

“Keith, remember, be careful! If Lance really is on that ship, we don’t want to hurt him!” Shiro said. Keith clenched his jaw.

“ _I know_.”

Keith kept his sights on the comet ship. It was fast and had a head start, but Keith was gaining.

Then, the comet ship’s boosters ignited.

 _They’re speeding up_ , Keith thought and tried to push Black to go faster. Black gently reminded Keith that she was not Red and that she was going as fast as he could. Keith gripped Black’s controls even tighter.

The comet ship was gaining speed and the distance between the two vessels grew. Another wave of panic shot through his body like electricity.

And then, before Keith could do anything about it, the comet ship blinked away as if it had been a mirage the entire time.

Keith’s eyes widened as the panic tearing away at his chest seemed to take over his whole body. The comet ship was gone.

“ _Keith!_ Keith, are you there? We’re coming. Do you have visuals on the comet ship?” Allura asked in his ear. Keith pushed on in the same direction, desperately looking for a trace of the ship. His breath grew labored and his body began to shake. A kind, careful purr entered his mind and told him he did everything he could.  

 _No! No there must be something. This can’t be it_ , he thought, answering Black.  

“Keith? _Keith?_ ” Allura persisted.

Keith closed his eyes tight and allowed himself one deep breath.

“No. I lost it. The ship is gone. It’s gone.”

And Lance, along with it.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know. I'm sorry. 
> 
> So, sometimes I make updates about this fic on my [Tumblr](http://thunder-dor.tumblr.com/)! Follow me if you'd like to ask questions/say hi/scream about klance.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team deals with Lance's abduction and a couple people wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Welcome to Chapter Four of Dark Blue. Couple of notes:
> 
> 1.) Sorry, this was late but this chapter is 11k and it would *not* cooperate.  
> 2.) This is now my longest fic ever and we're not even a third of the way through...  
> 3.) As always, shout out to my beta and wind-beneath-my wings [Emma](http://violaeadde.tumblr.com/) for helping me tackle this monster! Me??? Appreciating you??? More likely than you think!!!  
> 4.) Thank y'all so much for all the comments, kudos, subscriptions, and bookmarks. That biz means the world to me! Thank you!  
> 5.) Trigger warnings below.
> 
> Warnings:  
> a.) A character is mind controlled to do things against their will. It is painful and that pain is described.

**Dark Blue**

_Chapter Four  
_

Princess Allura sighed as she brought a hand to her face and rubbed two fingers against her temple. She let her head rest in her hand, her elbow propped up by her leg and her other arm dangling over her knees.

“Princess?” A familiar voice asked. Allura looked up and saw Coran holding a cup of Nunvill over her. His expression, usually bright and inquisitive, had become dark with a stiff frown and heavy eyes. The news had hit him as hard as anyone else and Coran was always very fond of Lance.

Allura suppressed a wince at the thought of the name.

Coran offered the drink to her, but she dismissed it with a wave of her hand.

“No, thank you, Coran,” Allura said.

“Aw, come now, you’ve just had a tough battle. You need your strength,” Coran said, his voice soft and warm. Allura felt a rush of gratitude for the man. If nothing else, she knew she was lucky that Coran was with her, that she wasn’t completely alone. She smiled at him and took the drink if only to give him a little peace of mind.

“Thank you.”

Coran sat down next to her on the Lounge couch in the Castleship. They had retired there after speaking with Empress Jyadra, while the other Paladins and Shiro were all searching the planet for Lance. However, after what the Empress told her, Allura knew their efforts would be fruitless.

 _What will I even say to them?_ She thought, her bones feeling heavy.

“Allura, are you alright?” Coran asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. Allura looked at the ground, her eyes narrowing on a single spot. She wanted to lie, to tell Coran that she was fine, but if she was going to put a brave face on for the Paladins, then telling Coran the truth was a good idea for her sanity. If piloting Blue had taught her anything, it was that she needed to let herself be weak sometimes. She didn’t want to be weak in front of the Paladins who had known Lance for years, however. She wanted to be a source of strength for them.

Still, hot tears threatened to fall at the corners of her eyes as she attempted to answer Coran’s question.

“You’d think, after everyone we’ve lost, we’d be used to it by now, but it doesn’t get any easier, does it?” Allura asked, her voice thick and cracking. She looked at Coran then, but his gaze was downward. He took a small inhale before looking up at her.

“No, it’ll never be easier,” Coran said and all Allura could do was respect him for the answer. Coran opened his arms for a hug and she accepted the offer quickly.

“Yes, yes I know,” she said, the tears now pooling in her eyes.

Their hug was cut short by Keith’s feed popping onto the Lounge’s large monitor. Allura and Coran separated, and Allura wiped away the wetness that formed around her eyes. She approached the monitor with her back straightened and her head held high.

“Keith, did you find anything?”

Keith’s face, long and tired, flickered through several different emotions in a span of a tick: eyes widened, then eyebrows crossed with a snarl on his lips, and then all of the tension released as his eyes closed and his mouth fell into a soft frown.

“No, nothing. We’re heading back to the castle now.”

She knew they would find nothing, but it didn’t stop the confirmation from hurting any less.

“I’m so sorry, Paladins,” Allura said, knowing the others were patched into the feed as well. The comms were dead silent and remained that way for several ticks. Keith finally brought his eyes to look at Allura through the monitor with a new determination on his face.

“Did you find out anything useful from the Empress?” Keith asked.

“Yes, I’ll debrief you all when you come back,” she said, determined to keep her voice even and strong.

Keith nodded once and then killed the feed.

* * *

 

When the Paladins walked into the Lounge, it was the silence that hit Allura the hardest. When the Paladins came back from a mission, usually there was laughing or bickering or some sort of chorus of celebratory sounds. Now, there was only quiet. Allura realized with an ache that it was usually Lance who contributed most to the post-battle racket.

Allura took a moment to take in all of their faces.

Shiro’s face gave little away, but he wore a tight-lipped frown and the brightness had left his eyes. Pidge kept her head downcast, the gleam of her glasses blocking the emotion in her eyes, but Allura could feel the pain and sense of loss radiating from her. Loss was something Allura and Pidge had in common, and Pidge couldn’t keep those emotions a secret from Allura, no matter how hard she tried.

Keith’s face was soft and his violet eyes were distant with whatever preoccupied his mind. His fists were balled tight at his sides and Allura knew Keith well enough to know he was blaming himself.

When her eyes finally landed on Hunk, her heart sank. Hunk’s eyes were red and the tell-tale tear tracks streaking his cheeks gave a heavy hint as to why. He kept his gaze far and away from the others, determined not to meet anyone else’s stare. Allura watched him sniff and drag his sleeve across his nose.

 _Oh, Hunk,_ she thought, her stomach bottoming out. If there were ever someone she never wanted to see such an expression on, it was Hunk. Yes, Hunk had a penchant for tears, but the look on his face now was something completely different. He didn’t look just heartbroken, he looked angry.

None of them looked at her or at each other and it sent a bolt of pain through her body. These humans were her family now and her family was broken, hurting. A lump formed in her throat and she swallowed thickly.

“Please, sit down. We have much to discuss,” she said, gesturing to the seating. She and Coran remained standing at the head of the couches.

The four other Paladins sat on separate corners, none of them daring to get too close or look at each other. Allura sighed as she scanned the room again. Black, red, green, and yellow. The obvious lack of blue made her uneasy as she deliberated what news she should relay first.

She sighed and decided to just start at the beginning.

“As you know, I spoke with Empress Jyadra about her experience with Prince Lotor. It seems...it seems it was their intention to take Lance from the beginning. They set up the sentries in hopes that we would use Lance’s skills as a marksman to isolate him from the group,” Allura said and she felt the air thicken instantly.

“You know, Allura, it _seems_ like we shouldn’t have left a teammate all alone when we knew we were walking into a trap,” said a voice, thick with volatile sarcasm. Allura did a double take when she realized the voice came from Hunk.

“Hunk!” Shiro admonished. Hunk looked at him briefly, crossed his arms, and then averted his gaze to an empty wall. Allura looked at Keith whose eyes went wide with hurt but then softened into something sad and resigned.

“It also seems,” she started, thinking it best to just move past Hunk’s outburst, “that one of Lotor’s generals has mind control abilities--”

“ _What?_ ” Pidge asked.

“Which one?” Keith asked.

“Empress Jyadra said her name was ‘Narti’. She has no eyes, a thick tail, and a cat that’s always with her. Apparently, she can control a person’s body if she’s touching them. The Empress was under Narti’s influence when she called us. It is a powerful enchantment,” Allura said. The four Paladins were looking at her now with wide eyes and she wished she didn’t have to tell them the next part.

“That’s not all. The Empress mentioned that Lotor can command Quintessence--”

“What?! _How?!_ ” Pidge asked, her voice shrill. Allura wished they’d let her finish. They were making this even harder.

“Honerva was a gifted Altean alchemist and wife to Zarkon. It seems Lotor is their son,” Coran said behind Allura.

“Aw, gross,” Hunk said.

“So, this means he can work a Teludav,” Keith said.

“Perhaps. Being only half Altean probably means he won’t have the same capacity as the Princess,” Coran said. Allura sighed again and was determined to tell them everything this time.

“Yes, this is all _concerning_ , but I wasn’t finished. The Empress said that when Lotor combined his magic with Narti’s, that he was able to control her even though she wasn’t being touched by Narti,” Allura said.

“Wait, so Lotor can just zap someone with his Quintessence and _control_ them like a...like a _puppet_?!” Hunk asked, his eyebrows knitted.

“With the aid of Narti’s magic, yes,” Allura said, slightly wincing at the unfamiliar tone in Hunk’s voice.

“Aw man, this is bad. Like, everything about this is _bad_ ,” Hunk said.

“I know it may seem like a small consolation, but the Empress told me that Lotor made it clear to his generals that they needed Lance alive. If nothing else, we know they don’t plan on hurting him,” Allura said, hoping this would give them at least some comfort.

“We know they don’t plan on _killing_ him. They could be torturing him for information or something! You guys, we need a plan like, _now_ ,” Hunk said and a heavy silence fell over them, knowing Hunk’s words were true. They needed a plan, but where would they even start?

Shiro was the first to stand, a fierce determination in his eyes.

“Keith was right before, we need more information. We need to go on recon missions. Pidge, what happened to your Galra finder? Couldn’t we use that again?”

“I told you guys before, it’s not a _Galra finder_ , it’s all based on statistical analysis and probability. I determined where the Galra were _most likely_ to be according to the data we had at the time. That data kinda went out the window when Lotor took charge of everything,” Pidge said.

“Can you make a new one with recent data?” Shiro asked.

“I could, but I don’t have as much data as before, so it won’t be as accurate _and_ It’s going to take me some time.”

“Well, that’s _something_.”

“I’ll...get started then,” Pidge said, jumping out of her seat and heading out the door. She left the room in such a hurry that Allura wondered if she’d be hoping for a chance to get away all along. Hunk stood up to meet Shiro.

“Shiro, what should we do?” Hunk asked and Allura could tell he was anxious to help. Shiro considered him with kind eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Be there for each other. I know that doesn’t seem like much, but it sounds like we’re gonna have to play the waiting game for a little while. We’re all worried about Lance and we need to be able lean on each other for support. Can I count on you for that, Hunk?” Shiro asked and Hunk’s eyes went wide. They narrowed and Allura saw tears form at the bottom of his lids.

“Yeah. Yeah, I can do that,” he said, his voice cracking. Shiro smiled and took his hand back.

“We should all try and get some rest. It’s been a hard day,” Shiro said and they all agreed.

* * *

 

It was quiet. It was just _so_ quiet. Was that what death was? An infinite silence?

He didn’t know. Everything was foggy and he couldn’t make his thoughts fit together cohesively. He was surrounded by blinking pictures and half-completed sentences, none of which he could string together. He felt heavy, like his body (if he had one) was made of cement that was melting onto the floor at the slowest of paces. He was tired. He was just _so_ tired.

Then, he heard a small sound: a gentle beep. He _heard_ it. In the silence, like a beacon pulling him out of a storm. He held onto the noise as it repeated in a steady, measured rhythm.

The words and pictures that had been floating around in his mind started to have meaning.

_The Black Lion...Voltron...Zarkon…_

He understood them as separate concepts, but couldn’t put them together. More images of space and aliens and pain infiltrated his mind, but it was all becoming too overwhelming. He listened for the steady noise again and focused on that, his body feeling heavier than before.

A warmth filled his left wrist and anchored him. He was sure now that he had a body. It was the only way that this gentle, steadying warmth could be felt. In addition to a wrist, he found that he had a chest that rose and fell with every breath.

_Ah._

Breathing--a new discovery. This one sent a chain reaction through him, making him acutely aware of his entire being. He had shoulder blades pressed against something soft and fingers that twitched by his sides. One of his hands was so cold, but the other was so hot and he didn’t know what to make of that.

He became aware of his head. He felt breath enter and exit through his mouth, making it feel dry and dehydrated. Finally, he realized he had eyes and those eyes were closed, the source of the darkness. They were once so heavy, but now, now he felt like he had the strength to open them.

They resisted at first, fluttering and stubborn, but they conceded. Above him was a blank wall, but there was too little light in the room to make out details. He didn’t attempt to take in more of his surroundings. Instead, he focused on the ceiling and the breath in his chest.

“Shiro?” asked the softest of voices.

 _My name_ , Shiro thought and it was like his existence was given back to him. He remembered the warmth in his wrist.

A face, like the sun, hovered over him with eyes and a smile so familiar, Shiro thought he might cry.

Because it was _Matt_.

Was this real? Or did he die, like he first thought? Was Matt dead too?

Shiro raised his cold hand to Matt’s face, desperate to know if it was tangible or just a vision. Matt’s smile faded, but the kindness in his eyes stayed. When Shiro’s fingertips just barely touched Matt’s cheek he quickly withdrew it.

“Matt,” he said, his voice hoarse and strained from lack of use. Matt smiled again.

“Yeah, Shiro. It’s me. I know you’re probably super disoriented right now. Alien morphine is a trip, but you’re safe, okay? You’re in a space hospital and you’re recovering, but you’ll be okay,” Matt said, his voice measured and soothing. Shiro realized then that the warmth on his left wrist was Matt’s hand.

“How am I here? Where have you been? What happened to Zarkon? To Voltron? Matt, I have to get to Voltron!” Shiro said, the thought rushing out of him like a dam breaking. Shiro had important things to do and his team was waiting for him. They were probably worried and scared. He tried to prop himself up, but Matt gently pressed his palms against Shiro’s shoulders, urging him to stay down.

“Whoa, whoa, buddy. I know, but you gotta regain your strength. Right now, all you have to do is relax and drink some water. I promise I’ll answer all your questions once you’re not so out of it.”

“Okay,” Shiro said allowing his head to rest back on his pillow. Shiro kept his eyes on Matt, who was now fiddling with some device connected to Shiro’s bed. Shiro felt the top half of his body rise with the bed, now sitting mostly upright.

With a small smile, Matt handed him a cup of water. Shiro took it gladly and placed the cup to his lips, letting the cool liquid go down his throat. He finished the cup within seconds and gave it back to Matt.

“Can I have more, please?” he asked. Matt took the cup and rolled his eyes, a small laugh escaping him.

“You always _did_ know how to chug,” Matt said and Shiro scoffed. Matt poured more water in the cup and handed it to him. “You _should_ be sipping it, by the way.”

“I’m thirsty,” Shiro said, compromising by taking breaks in between gulps. Matt laughed at him and it was such a pleasant sound. It had been _so_ long since he’d heard Matt’s laugh. Shiro knew he’d missed him, but now that Matt was right in front of him, he realized how much.

“How are you feeling?” Matt asked, his eyes searching Shiro’s face.

“Hey, what happened to your glasses?” Shiro asked, suddenly very confused by their absence. Matt laughed again, but louder. His head snapped back and his eyes were squeezed shut. Shiro couldn’t help but laugh with him.

“The Galra took them, remember? Obviously, none of the space pharmacies have my prescription, so I had to figure something else out. It turns out that alien medicine is _much_ more advanced than Earth’s,” Matt waved a hand in front of his face, “20-20 vision, baby!”  

Shiro took the opportunity to examine Matt more closely. The year they had been separated had changed his best friend drastically. He was spectacle-less and his face had lost some of its innocence: the jawline was more defined and scars decorated each side of it. One scar lay underneath his right eye and another that went along his left cheek. His figure was leaner, his shoulders broader like the soldier he had undoubtedly become.

Shiro had so many questions and so many things to tell him, he had no idea where to start. It didn’t help that a veil still obscured his thoughts like fog. Shiro attempted to sit up again. This time, he was much more successful and swung his legs over the bed. He looked down at his legs, surprised to see he was wearing the black undersuit from his Altean armor.

“Hey! I thought we agreed you needed to rest!” Matt said, jumping to push Shiro back.

“No, no. I need to...I need to move. I need to get back to the Castleship. They’re worried about me,” Shiro said, knowing he still wasn’t quite making sense. Despite the weakness in his legs, Shiro stood up and Matt offered his arms as a makeshift crutch. Shiro grabbed the shorter man’s shoulders to steady himself and Matt looked up at him.

“Who’s worried about you?” Matt asked with wide eyes. Shiro looked at him, not properly registering the question and then crushed Matt to his chest with an enveloping hug.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Matt laughed, returned the hug, and pat Shiro on the back.

“Boy, you are out of it, but yeah, I was really worried about you too. I was pretty sure I’d never see you again, honestly.”

“I knew we’d find you. Pidge and I never lost hope.”

“Pidge?”

With a bolt of clarity, Shiro’s eyes widened and he pushed himself off of Matt, his hand moving to each of Matt’s shoulders. Matt’s eyes grew wide and his head cocked to the left slightly.

“Pidge! _Katie_! She’s here, in space. She’s a Paladin of Voltron and she’s been looking for you!” Shiro said, his voice and legs shaking. Matt looked at him with an agape mouth and softened eyes.

“Whoa, Shiro. I think you need to lie back down, man. Katie’s on Earth,” Matt said.

“No, Matt, _listen_. I’m telling you the truth. She’s in space and she’s looking for you.”

“Shiro, _how_?” Matt asked.

“There’s this thing called _Voltron_ and it’s made of Lion-ships and-”

“No, Shiro, I know about Voltron, but how could Katie even get in space? She was too young to go to the Garrison,” Matt said, his voice thick with emotion. Shiro couldn’t stand anymore so he allowed himself to sit back on the bed, releasing Matt.

“It’s...a long story, but it’s true Matt. She’s a Paladin of Voltron,” Shiro said and Matt looked at him, his eyebrows raised.

“You’re serious? _My_ Katie?” Matt asked. A small smile bloomed on Shiro’s face.

“Yeah. _Your_ Katie. We call her Pidge, though. She’s been looking for you and your dad. You’d be so proud of her, Matt. She pilots the Green Lion and she’s saved me more times than I can count,” Shiro said, a warmth filling his chest as he watched Matt absorb the information. Matt’s face scrunched and he tried to hold back tears, but they came anyway at the corner of his eyes. They were accompanied by a bright smile.

“Wow, I-she’s a Paladin with you? She’s-she’s _here_? I can see her again?” Matt said, overwhelmed.

“Yes, if you can help me locate the Altean Castleship. That’s where she’ll be: with Voltron,” Shiro said. Matt wiped the tears from his eyes and placed a hand on his forehead.

“I can’t believe this.”

Shiro smiled up at him.

“So, will you help me get back to my team?”

“ _Of course_ , Shiro, but you still need to rest first. I’ll get the healer and see if there’s anything they can give you to get you on your feet faster. You stay here and _lie down_ ,” Matt threatened and Shiro listened. “I’ll be back in a dobosh, so don’t move.”

Shiro raised his hands defensively and Matt was satisfied. He left the small room and Shiro was left alone with his thoughts.

He tried his best to ground himself. He knew he was forgetting snippets of information and scrambling the order of events in his mind. He still felt so heavy and full of clouds. He closed his eyes.

 _Patience yields focus_ , he thought. Then, with a pang, he thought of Keith and his heart dropped to his stomach. Keith was probably really upset and confused right now. Shiro would get back to them soon, he swore he would.

Thinking of Keith gave him a touchstone, so he continued to think of his teammates. He thought of each of them, running through their faces in his mind.

He felt his stomach twist as he realized what predicament they were in now that he was gone. He trusted all of them and knew that they’d be okay without him, but he couldn’t help but worry. If he really thought about it, with the exception of Coran, they were all just kids who were forced to be soldiers. At least Shiro was already a soldier before this whole crazy adventure started, but they were all just cadets.

He always knew that there was a good chance that he wouldn’t always be there for them, but he had hoped he’d get more time with them first. He knew Keith still disliked the idea of being a leader, knew Hunk needed more help with his piloting, knew Lance needed to build his confidence.

 _I want to get back to them_ , he thought and it was the clearest thought he had all night. His thoughts drifted back to Matt and the promise of them getting back to his team _together._ He started to form a list of questions for his best friend in his mind.

 _What happened to you? What have you been doing all this time? How do you know about Voltron? Where are we? Where did you find me? How did you find me? What_ happened _to me?_

Shiro lingered on the last question. He remembered defeating Zarkon, but that’s where his memory got patchy again. There was a flash of bright purple light, a purple light he’s seen far too many times, and then darkness. He saw undefined figures towering over him and getting closer. A phantom pain shot up his prosthetic arm as he saw the inside of a Galra hospital room with a tank filled with purple liquid. He wasn’t sure if this last image was new or old, pre or post-Voltron. He remembered the inside of a cell, the cold hard, ground, and a voice calling out his name.

“Shiro?”

Shiro shot open his eyes. Matt was standing at the door with a tall, thin alien dressed in a blue body suit. Their skin was grey and short antennae decorated the top of their very round head. They were holding a tray filled with various vials of different sizes, shapes, and colors.

“Oh, hey,” Shiro said, sitting himself back up off of the mattress. Matt and the alien approached him as the lights of the room blinked on. Shiro winced at the sudden flood of light into his pupils.

“My apologies,” the alien said, placing the tray of vials on a nearby counter and then turning back to face Shiro, “My name is Qulric. I’m a healer with the rebellion. We have heard whispers of you and Voltron, and I must say, it is an honor to make your acquaintance.”

Qulric stood with a tall posture at parade rest and sent a polite nod Shiro’s way.

“I...thank you,” Shiro said, unsure of how else to respond. Qulric seemed to like the response just fine and moved to his bedside. Floating above and to the side of Shiro was a holo-screen that, he assumed, displayed his vitals as Qulric observed it with a low hum.

“How are you feeling? Little weak?” he asked.

“Yeah, I-I’m having a hard time standing.”

Qulric nodded.

“Mm-hm. Poxinade is an effective medicine, but it can linger, especially in species with low metabolisms,” Qulric said, gesturing to Shiro, “Your vitals are strong, however. The Poxinade just doesn’t want to leave your system. It numbs the muscles, so that’s why you’re experiencing some fatigue.”

“Does it make it hard to think? Clearly, I mean?”

Qulric swiped the surface of the holo-screen and then turned to Shiro. He grabbed a pen-shaped object from a pocket by his hip and brought it to Shiro’s eyes. It produced a blink of blinding light and then was gone a second later.

“It can, yes, but based on your Cortisol levels, I’d say that it’s only part of it. It’s not surprising, according to our intel, you’ve been through quite an ordeal. Good news is I have something that can help,” Qulric said, moving to the vials on the counter. He grabbed an apple-shaped vial the color of grass and brought back over to Shiro.

“This will chase the Poxinade from your system and you’ll be up-and-about in no time,” Qulric continued, removing the stopper from the vial. A light green mist wafted out of the top as Qulric placed the open bottle beneath Shiro’s nose. “ _Big_ inhale.”

Shiro did as he was told and took a deep breath in. The substance hit his nose like electricity, sending a huge jolt up his sinuses, to his skull, and then coursing through his whole body. He let out a pained cry but noticed the effects of the medicine immediately. He felt alert and perceptive, while his body felt warmed up like it was ready for an intense workout.

Shiro shook his head, squeezed his eyes shut, and then opened them wide. He let his legs swing over the side of his bed and marveled at how easy it was.

“Wow,” he breathed. Qulric chuckled and Matt beamed at him.

“You already look better.”

“Yeah, I feel amazing,” Shiro said and he dared to stand up. His body gave him no resistance and he could feel a smile form on his face. His muscles felt supple and stretched--all he wanted to do was use them. He did some arm-cross stretches and sighed with relief at the gentle pull.

“Matt, why don’t you take our guest to get some solid food and take him for a little tour? He’ll want to burn off that energy,” Qulric said, placing a hand on Matt’s shoulder. Matt looked at Qulric and then back to Shiro with a grin.

“Ya hungry, big guy?” Matt asked.

“Starving.”

* * *

 After Matt helped Shiro find a change of clothes, they set off to Matt’s favorite place to eat on the planet. The rebel base planet, or Phenlen as Shiro learned, was an urbanized planet filled with some of the most advanced technology he’d ever seen. There was no sun in this solar system, so the entire planet was surrounded by a clear shield that regulated the atmosphere and kept it warm enough to stay habitable. It was a planet filled with lighted skyscrapers, street vendors, and aliens of every variety. As there was no sun, it was only ever night in Phenlen and it reminded Shiro of the biggest, most bustling metropolitans on Earth.

“Almost feels like home, huh?” Matt asked as the walked across the street towards a food cart selling fried insect-esque creatures. Music and lights blared from the inside of what Shiro assumed was a space club as disoriented aliens stumbled at its entrance.

“Almost,” Shiro said, a sad smile finding his lips. “Mostly just reminds me of your twenty-first birthday.”

At that, Matt snorted.

“Well, I’m glad _somebody_ remembers that night.”

They both laughed as Matt continued to lead Shiro down the streets of the city.

“So, I thought this was a rebel base, not a party planet.”

“Well, I mean it _is_. The work we do here...you’re either going out on covert missions or doing painstaking technological research, maybe both. The Director wanted there to be a way for members to de-stress, y’know? Plus, a lot of the aliens that live here were prisoners of war and don’t have planets to go back to. This is their home now, so she wanted it to be a community,” Matt said, weaving in between aliens in the crowded street.  

“That’s...incredible. How long have you been here?” Shiro asked.

“Little less than a year. The rebels rescued me pretty soon after…” he paused, turning his face away from Shiro, “after you saved me from the arena. The Galra were transporting me to a prisoner work camp, but the cruiser was hijacked by rebels. They brought me here and I’ve been helping them ever since.”

Matt’s shoulders slumped and his steps slowed. Shiro could tell something was wrong and he looked for a place they could go to speak privately. He spotted a nearby alley and grabbed Matt by his arm to lead him to it. When they reach the quiet solitude of the alley, Shiro let go of his friend and faced him.

“Shiro, what are you doing? The diner is _that_ way.”

“Matt…”

“What?”

“What’s going on? You’re upset.”

“I’m not--”

“Matt.”

Matt sighed at looked at his boots.

“Sorry, Shiro. I’m okay, really. I just…”

“What?” Shiro asked.

“I-I never got to thank you for what you did for me back at the arena. You saved my life and I couldn’t do anything for you,” Matt said, his voice growing thick. He took one hand and placed it on his other elbow.

“Matt, it’s fine. You don’t have to--”

“It’s not fine! I found your file when we took you from that Galran prison. I know what they did to you. You were fighting in that arena for a _year_. You...You’re covered in scars. They took your arm, Shiro!” Matt said and Shiro sighed.

“I know, but I’m alive and that’s what matters. I’ve never resented or blamed you for any of this, Matt. You know that, right?”

Matt stayed quiet and bit his lip. Shiro recognized this as an old habit of Matt’s when he was thinking hard about something. Then, in one swift motion, Matt stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Shiro’s chest.

“I’m so sorry, Shiro. About everything.”

Shiro’s eyes widened, but he let his arms squeeze around Matt’s shoulders again, holding back a laugh. What was it with Holts and apology hugs?

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Shiro said, pulling away from the embrace. Matt’s eyes stayed on the ground.

“I know, I just-” he sighed and then looked up to meet Shiro’s eyes, “you told me to take care of dad, but I never found him. I’ve been hacking into Galra tech for months, but I haven’t even heard a whisper about him.”

“We’ll find him, Matt. I promise. Besides, once we get to the Castle of Lions, we can look with Katie. _Together_ ,” Shiro said. Matt allowed himself a small smile.

“Thanks, Shiro.”

Shiro smiled back and for the umpteenth time that day, warmth filled Shiro’s chest knowing he had found Matt.

“So, are you gonna take me to this great canteen or not?” Shiro asked, his tone still soft. Matt shook his head and let out a small laugh.

“Yeah, come on. We’re close,” Matt said, beckoning him to follow. Shiro walked beside Matt as questions bounced around in his mind.

“What do you do as part of the rebellion?”

“I mainly research ways to exploit and repurpose Galra tech, but I go on a lot of recon missions too. I didn’t really want to at first, but the Director thought it would help me learn how to fight, so I took her up on it.”

“Since you don’t have noodle arms anymore, I guess it must have worked,” Shiro teased.

“Hey, watch it pal. You might have been able to wipe the floor with me a year ago, but not anymore. Not only do I have my gigantic brain on my side, but now I have mediocre combat skills to go with it,” Matt said, smiling and patting his thigh where a collapsible weapon lay hanging. Shiro figured it unfolded into a staff of some sort.

“The Galra must be shaking in their space boots.”

“Tremblin’ like space leaves in the wind,” Matt said with a cheeky smirk before stopping in front of a small, dirty building on a street corner, “We’re here!”

“ _This_ is your favorite place?” Shiro asked, eyeing the dusty windows and grease stains covering the door.

“Look, they have these things called centi-slabs, which granted, sounds disgusting and _are_ disgusting if you know the ingredients, _but_ if you close your eyes and imagine, they almost taste like hamburgers,” Matt said, his eyes looking up at a far-off dream. At the mention of “hamburgers”, Shiro’s stomach, as if on cue, grumbled.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

Matt opened the door and gestured for Shiro to go inside first with a smile. The diner was a small, dirty place with only five tables and low, unflattering lighting that seemed to amplify all the grease stains.

“You sure this place serves edible food?” Shiro whispered in Matt’s ear. Matt rolled his eyes.

“Just go find us a seat. I’ll order for us.”

While Matt ordered, Shiro scanned the drab restaurant for the cleanest table he could find. He settled on one that only had two blobs of some unknown space sauce on its surface. He sat down and Matt joined him with a soda cup in each hand. He gave one to Shiro and sucked on the straw of his own cup.

“What’s this?”

“It’s kinda like orange soda and fruit punch mixed together, but sweeter,” Matt said. Shiro gave him a flat look and Matt shrugged, “it’s not as gross as it sounds.”

Shiro braved the alien drink and immediately regretted it.

“It’s _exactly_ as gross as it sounds.”

Matt shrugged again.

“Believe me, this is the least gross option.”

Despite himself, Shiro kept sipping at the saccharine concoction. It was cold and if nothing else, it was quenching the terrible thirst he had since waking up at the space hospital.

“So, what else?” Matt asked.

“Huh?”

“What else do you wanna know? I know you’ve got, like, a million questions swirling in that brain of yours, so shoot,” Matt said. Shiro looked down at the table. It was time for the harder questions now.

“Do you know what happened to me? The last thing I remember was fighting Zarkon in Voltron and then it’s all a blur.”

Matt sighed and scratched the back of his neck.

“Yeah, well, the good news is that you _did_ defeat Zarkon, first off. From what I gathered from the file I found on you at Op Zen, you were found unconscious on the planet Thepsod and were taken into Galra custody. They…” Matt sighed again, “they were extracting your memories for something called Operation Kuron. We still don’t know what that is, or, if we do, it’s above my level within the ranks, but I’m pretty high up there. Anyway, your file had some information on your time in the arena, your Galra hand, and said you were the Black Paladin of Voltron, but that’s about it.”

“How long has it been since we beat Zarkon?” Shiro asked. Matt shook his head.

“At least a month. They replaced Zarkon pretty quickly after you took him out. Apparently, he has a son, Prince Lotor, who’s taken over his command. From the reports, it sounds like he’s a completely different animal compared to Zarkon. He’s smart,” Matt said. Shiro blanched at the information but pressed on.

“How so?” Shiro said, still processing.

“He’s definitely plotting something. I don’t really know the details, but he’s been visiting these three specific planets. Only the Director and our informant on the inside know which planets though,” Matt said.

“But what’s the point?” Shiro asked. Matt looked over both of his shoulders and then leaned in close to whisper.

“We’re not sure, but we do know that he built a nearly-indestructible ship out of the same material as Voltron and my hunch is that he’s trying to find a way to make his ship even stronger than the Lions. I don’t know how, but I know the three planets are connected to Voltron.”

“He’s trying to make a ship _stronger_ than Voltron?! Matt, if that happens, it’s game over,” Shiro said, his voice a fierce whisper.

“I know that. You think I don’t know that? I know that. Look, the Rebellion is doing

everything it can to take Lotor down. We’re advancing our tech, building weapons, making an army. We know how serious this is,” Matt said.

“You should form an alliance with Voltron,” Shiro said and Matt winked.

“That’s the idea,” he said with a sly grin.

“Have you heard anything recently? About Voltron?” Shiro asked.

“There’s definitely been reports of the Lions, but we haven’t gotten a report on Voltron yet, but they can’t form it without you, right?” Matt asked and it was Shiro’s turn to sigh.

“I have to get back to them, Matt.”

“I’ll get you-- _us_ there. I promise,” Matt said and Shiro smiled.

Matt was about to ask his own question when an alien covered in fur approached the table holding two baskets of food. He plopped them in front of Matt and Shiro, grunted, and then disappeared behind the counter. Shiro looked down at his meal. There was a green bread-like substance that sandwiched a blue patty with orange-colored chips on the side. Shiro grabbed the top bun to inspect it further. This was a mistake, as he found the patty to have several small legs protruding from it, indicating it was made up of grounded bugs. He placed the bun back on top of the patty.

“Matt…” Shiro said, feeling himself grow weary.

“Trust me, dude. Just close your eyes and try to forget what it looks like,” Matt said, already biting into his centi-slab. Shiro stared down at his with a pained expression. His stomach grumbled and he sighed.  

With slow hands, Shiro grabbed the sandwich and brought it to his lips.

And, if he _really_ used his imagination, it almost tasted like a burger.

* * *

 

When Lance woke up, all he could see was soft, red light coming from the hallway outside of his cell.

 _Red?!_ He thought and bolted upright from the slab of concrete that lay beneath him.

“Aw man, did I get sent to the _bad_ place? I was a saint when I was alive!” He mumbled to himself, sleep still disorienting him. He swung his legs off of the slab and attempted to rub his eyes, but found his hands bound in front of him by futuristic handcuffs. They were dark grey and accented by a magenta glow. It reminded Lance of Galra tech.

He took in his surroundings. He was in a square cell with three, solid black walls and one made of bars and a barred door. He stood up and approached the cell door with light footsteps. Lance peered down the hallway from either side, but could only see dark and empty cells surrounding him. He looked up at the light sources lining the walls and recognized the familiar moldings. Lance had been on enough Galra ships to recognize when he was on one.

 _Okay, cool. You’re not dead. You’ve just been captured by the enemy. That’s cool,_ he thought, a wash of relief coming over him. It was short-lived, however, as a sudden panic hit his chest with staggering force.

“Oh, no,” he mumbled. Being captured, while marginally better than being dead, was still very, very bad. They would probably torture him for information or use him against Voltron somehow, if not both. Then, there was Voltron, now down a whole Paladin _again_. Without Lance, they couldn’t form Voltron and that left the entire universe vulnerable.

Lance made his way back to the slab, sat down, and let his head hang. For several minutes, he contemplated what the team would do without him to pilot the Red Lion.  

 _I guess...they’ll find someone else if they need to_ , he thought. It was the most sensible course of action. Black would probably take Shiro back now and then Keith could go back to Red. Lance’s breath hitched as his stomach twisted painfully. If that happened, the Lions probably wouldn’t want to switch around _again_ just to let him back in. His capture probably meant his days of being a Paladin were over now. It was possible they could find him fast before there was a need to replace him, but, considering how elusive Lotor had been, he doubted it.

 _It’s okay, you knew you’d be the odd one out eventually. You prepared for this_ , he thought, trying to push aside another nasty thought that was needling the back of his mind.

 _That’s what you get for being stupid and getting caught_.

Lance felt his jaw and chest tense as the thought fully formed in his head. If only he had the hand-to-hand combat skills that Keith, Allura, and Shiro had, then he could have taken on Lotor’s general. He should never have insisted that he take out the guards by himself. They should have done something else, _anything_ else.

As Lance continued to mull over the failings of the mission, a door from somewhere down the hallway opened and snapped him from his reverie. Lance straightened up, his entire body tensing up as the sound of footsteps got louder and louder. His hands trembled as it sunk in just how vulnerable he was now. He was wearing his armor, but he no longer had his Bayard. Whoever was coming down the hall--he was at their mercy.

Two of Lotor’s Generals appeared in front of him. One was large with wide, fanned ears and a sly grin full of sharp teeth. The other was more petite and had a human-esque body type, but with violet coloring. Unlike the bigger one, she didn’t seem at all pleased about the situation.

“So, you’re finally awake, Paladin?” the large General asked. Lance decided to stay silent. That always seemed like a cool power move in action movies. If he was just silent and didn’t give them any indication of how he was feeling, then he’d have the upper hand.

“Not so chatty now, are you?” the larger one continued and the violet General cleared her throat.

“Prince Lotor requires your presence. If you come willingly, you will not be harmed, but you will be coming with us either way,” she said, pulling a blaster from her belt. She placed her hand on the door’s hand-recognition panel and the bars on the doors rose upwards until they disappeared. Lance kept himself still on the slab. What had the big one meant when she called him “chatty”? He knew that he was, but how did she know? They’d never spoken to each other before.

The large Galra approached him, while the smaller one aimed her blaster at Lance’s head. The large Galra grabbed onto his arm and lifted him onto his feet with incredible strength, then dragged him forward out of the cell. Lance made no attempt to resist her, thinking it unwise.

They walked at a steady pace in silence with the big General keeping one big hand (paw?) wrapped around his upper arm and the small General keeping her blaster trained on him. They exited the cell block to a much brighter hallway on the ship.

Lance gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he tried to remember the turns they took away from the cellblock. He wouldn’t be too successful if he tried to escape now, but maybe he could later.

As they continued on down the hallways, Lance felt his heartbeat quicken with every step.

 _Oh no, oh man. This is it. They’re taking me to the torture room. I’m about to be tortured,_ he thought, on the verge of panicking. He tried to calm down and told himself there was no guarantee he’d be tortured.

 _But what if they_ are _gonna torture me?_ He asked himself. If they were going to hurt him, then they would want information about Voltron, specifically information that could help take Voltron down.

This thought made Lance realize that even if his Lion-flying days were over, he still had an important job to do as a Paladin of Voltron. He had to protect his team. He had to be strong and keep his lips shut no matter how much it hurt. This was his duty now.

With a newfound resolve, Lance inhaled and straightened to his full height.

Finally, they reached a silver door in the middle of a hall. The small General placed her hand on the panel and the door went up with a _whoosh_.

The big General dragged him through the door into a room that reminded Lance of the Castleship’s training deck. It was an open room with a cleared floor and brighter lighting than the rest of the ship. The walls were covered in various Galran weapons and Lance felt a shiver go up his spine. Would they use those weapons on him? He shuddered.

As they went further into the room, three figures approached the center of the floor. Two he recognized as Lotor’s other lackeys and the other he had never seen before. His hair was long and white, while his skin was a pale purple. He walked with a confident, stately gait and Lance wondered if this was Lotor himself.

His train of thought violently ended as the General holding him threw him to the ground. He landed on his knees as the Galra soldiers loomed over him. His breathing stopped and his eyes went wide as the white-haired Galra approached him.

“Well, if it isn’t the weakest link of Team Voltron?” he asked, a cocky grin plastered on his face. The comment hit him like a slap to the face and he winced before he could control himself. He must have made quite a face as it caused the white-haired Galra to laugh. It was a cold, humorless sound. Lance fixed his eyes on the ground to avoid showing his expression as much as possible.  

“My apologies, _Lance_ , that was rude of me. I should introduce myself first. I am Prince Lotor, son of Zarkon and Emperor Pro Tem of the Galra Empire. You’ve met my Generals, I believe. This is Zethrid, Acxa, Ezor, and Narti,” He said, first gesturing to the big General, the violet General second, the rose-colored General third, and the eyeless one with a cat on her shoulder last.

“How do you know my name?” Lance asked, dread filling him. Lotor grinned.

“Your Castleship isn’t nearly as impenetrable as you think it is. We know _a lot_ about you and your team, Lance. For instance, I know that your friend _Pidge_ is quite the genius when it comes to technology. How many missions do you think you’d fail without her? Hunk has quite a special spot on the team, as well. All of the Paladins adore him and he’s an engineer of prodigal proportions. Then, Princess Allura is _invaluable_ with her command of Quintessence, her strength, and her penchant for flying the Blue Lion,” Lotor said, circling Lance. Lance’s heart squeezed, but he forced his face to stay neutral. He knew Lotor was playing with him, saying things he knew would get to him, but he didn’t know to what end.

“And then, there’s _Keith_. Even I have to admit he’s an exceptional flyer and fighter. Out of all of you, he’s the true threat. It’s not surprising, really. Those chosen by the Black Lion have always been special,” Lotor continued. A familiar tension crept into Lance’s chest at the words obviously meant to wound, but he ignored it.

“Do you have a point or are you done fangirling over my teammates?” Lance asked, his tone biting.

“It just left me wondering, what is it that _you_ do? Every one of the Paladins of Voltron are extraordinary, except for you. Or, at least, that’s how it seems. None of them seem to ask for your help or need you on missions, so why are you a Paladin?” Lotor asked. The ugly thoughts that Lance always tried so hard to keep in check reared their head and threatened to break free. Lance pushed back against them.

 _He’s trying to get in your head. Don’t let him. Stay cool_ , Lance thought, his hands clenching in their bind.

“You know, Lance, you might not be as smart, or as strong, or as good of a pilot as your fellow Paladins, but I think you have an untapped potential. I think, with some training, you could be _incredibly_ powerful if someone was willing to nurture your strengths,” Lotor said and then gestured to Zethrid. Zethrid promptly grabbed Lance’s shoulders and stood him upright. “We could help you, Lance. I know you’re much more than Voltron would have you believe. The Alteans will tell you that you’re a _part_ of a whole, only strong when combined, but this is a ruse. You’re _already_ whole. Join me and I can show you.”

Lance stared at Lotor and blinked.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. You want me to _join you_? You, as in, the _Galra_? The jerks of the universe?” Lance asked. Lotor narrowed his eyes at the comment and Lance suppressed a grin.

“I am not my father, Paladin. You may not believe me, but I fully intend to bring peace to the universe as the Emperor of the Galra Empire.”

“Why do I find that hard to believe?” Lance asked.

“It’s true,” Lotor paused, then turned away from Lance, “but I need your help first. Lance, together, we could truly make the universe a better place. Join me.”

He looked back at Lance with a sincere, hopeful expression. Lance didn’t trust it for a minute.

“Yeah, still a hard pass from me, dude,” he said with a shake of his head.

“But why? Your team will just replace you when you’re gone. They clearly don’t appreciate you. If you join me, I can guarantee you’ll be given the recognition and compensation you deserve.”

“ _Oh_! I see what’s going on here. You think that if you tell me my friends hate me or whatever, then I’ll turn against them. Well, it’s not gonna happen, pal! Even if I am replaced, it doesn’t matter. I’ll never help you hurt them!” Lance said, blood pounding in his ears. A surge of pride ran through him as he knew he just passed his first test. He wasn’t going to let Lotor manipulate him that easy.

All of the contrived warmth that decorated Lotor’s expression earlier had faded and was replaced by a cold, calculated stare.

“Very well, we’ll do this the hard way. Narti!” Lotor called. The eyeless General made a swift movement and was behind Lance in a flash. She pressed a hand against Lance’s back before he was able to react.

“What are you--agh!” Lance started but was interrupted by a searing hot sensation that started at the small of his back and shot through the rest of his veins. The sensation felt like liquid fire coursing through him, burning him from the inside out.  His eyes widened and he heard small stutterings coming from his throat. He tried to scream, but his vocal folds wouldn’t work.

“I’m afraid you brought this on yourself, Lance. I tried to be reasonable,” Lotor said with a cold, steely look in his eye, then slowly walked behind Lance. Lance tried to follow him with his eyes, but he couldn’t move them. He couldn’t move any part of his body.

 _They’re torturing me. They’re gonna torture me until I agree to help them_ , Lance realized. He felt the impulse to panic, but his body wouldn’t allow it.  

Lance felt something shift behind him and guessed it was Lotor. Then, with devastating impact, a bolt of electricity struck Lance’s back like lightning. The burning in his veins mixed with a painful stinging that would have made him black out if his eyes could even shut.

Slowly, too slowly, the two pains seemed to meld and harden together. The burning cooled but still seared through him even as the hand on the small of his back left him. His vision changed, almost as if he was wearing magenta-shaded sunglasses. He tried to move his fingers, but his body still wasn’t listening.

Lotor and Narti were in front of him again and he knew they hadn’t finished playing with him yet.

“Ezor, do you have the Paladin’s Bayard?” Lotor asked, turning to the rose-colored General.

“Right here, boss!” Ezor said, flashing the inactivated weapon in her hand.

“Acxa, take off his bindings,” Lotor said. Acxa nodded and approached Lance. She pressed some buttons on the handcuffs and Lance’s hands were free, but they felt even more chained than before.

“Now, Lance, take your weapon from Ezor,” Lotor said, a grin curling one side of his mouth.

At first, Lance was confused. Why would Lotor willingly unbind him and then hand him his weapon? Then, Lance felt his feet move as if they were on auto-pilot. He tried to stop himself, but his brain couldn’t make his body do _anything_. He tried to just blink and even that he was denied. The only thing he had control over at all was his cognitive thought, which, at the moment, was none too helpful.

 _Oh no, no, no, no, no. Stop. Stop!_ He thought, but it was no use. He took the Bayard from Ezor and to his horror, it transformed into the blaster.

“Target practice, level one--commence!” Lotor shouted and multiple targets of varying shapes and sizes popped out of the floor from the mechanisms underneath. “Lance, take down all the targets as quickly as you can to the best of your ability.”

His body reacted instantly. He raised his weapon and shot at the first target he saw, and then pivoted himself to take out the next one. Lance fought his body with every step and with every shot, but nothing could stop him. He just kept taking down targets with an efficiency and accuracy that normally would have made him proud.

 _I can’t stop it. I’m not strong enough,_ he thought, the realization crushing him.

He stopped trying. He let whatever strange space magic that was controlling him call the shots and the burning in his veins cooled to an almost bearable temperature. His movements flowed with such ease that the sensation started to feel comforting like it was a pleasure to follow through with the orders.

It only took a minute for Lance to clear the floor. Shiro would have praised him for it under different circumstances.

Lance’s body turned to face Lotor and his Generals when he finished. Ezor started to clap enthusiastically and even let out a holler.

“Wow! I don’t think even Acxa could have cleared that level so fast!” she said. Acxa crossed her arms and looked away from the red alien.

“Indeed. I’m impressed, Paladin. Yes, I think you’ll be a fine addition to our team. Let Ezor take your Bayard and give your hands to Acxa to bind,” Lotor said.

His body followed the instructions as Ezor and Acxa approached him. Ezor took his de-transformed Bayard and Acxa bound his hands together with the Galra tech handcuffs.

Lotor, with a wave of his hand, released his hold on Lance.

The effect was instantaneous. Lance collapsed to the floor as his lungs gasped for breath like he had been submerged underwater for several minutes. His usual vision, previously shrouded by a magenta filter, was back. His muscles were weak and his entire body trembled with the absence of the magic that had been holding them up.

“What--what did you...do to me?” he asked, his voice quiet and shaky. He felt cold now that the heat was gone and he shivered even harder.

“Why, I’ve made you a member of my team, Lance. I look forward to working with you in the fight against Voltron,” Lance said, his smile saccharine. Lance’s eyes widened.

 _Oh, no, no, no, no. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening!_ He thought, suddenly feeling dizzy.

The panic his body previously prohibited hit him with full force as his chest clenched with painful tension and tears pooled at the corner of his eyes.

Lotor wasn’t going to torture Lance into hurting his friends, he didn’t need to. Lance was going to do it anyway, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

  

* * *

 

Keith rounded the corner to the hallway that led to the kitchens. He was looking for Hunk and if Hunk wasn’t in his room, or tinkering with something on the Bridge, then he was probably in the kitchens. At least, Keith hoped he was there. The longer it took to find Hunk, the more nervous Keith was to talk to him and Keith _really_ needed to talk to him. He couldn’t ignore what Hunk had said while they searched for Lance on Gesperion.

 

_“This isn’t getting us anywhere. We need to go back to the castle and think of a plan. Lance isn’t here,” Hunk said through the comms, an edge in his voice that Keith had only heard him use in relation to the Balmera._

_“We have to check, Hunk. We don’t know for sure that he’s on that ship and we don’t want to take any chances if it’s possible he’s still here. The Lions are fast, we’ll be done here soon, and then we’ll debrief with Allura and Coran,” Shiro said, from behind Keith’s chair in the Black Lion’s cockpit._

_“I knew we never should have let Lance be by himself. We practically offered him up to the Galra on a silver platter. I_ said _that leaving him behind was a mistake,” Hunk continued, his voice growing wobbly._

_“Hunk! We know, okay? It seemed like the best plan at the time. We didn’t want the Gesperions to get hurt,” Keith said. His nerves had been on edge ever since his encounter with the comet ship and Hunk’s tangents were not helpful._

_“Oh yeah? Well, you know who else we didn’t want to get hurt?_ Lance! _Y’know, our_ friend _?”_

_“I’m sorry, Hunk, but Lance is a Paladin just like the rest of us. It was his decision,” Keith said and instantly regretted it. It sounded cold and unfeeling on his tongue. The comms went silent for several moments._

_“You know what, dude? Whatever. Lance may be just a ‘_ Paladin _' to you, but he’s my best friend and you never should have put him in danger like that,” Hunk said and it was the most callous Keith had ever heard him. Keith’s stomach dropped and his shoulders sank at the words. Keith couldn’t deny the truth in them._

_“Hunk, stop,” Pidge said, her voice a ghost of its usual vivacity. She sounded hollow and defeated._

_“It helps no one, least of all Lance, to bicker and put blame on each other, team. Let’s finish this and head to the castle,” Shiro said. Then, the comms went silent with the occasional sniffle from Hunk. With a pang, Keith realized he was crying._

 

Keith had repeated Hunk’s words to himself over and over again ever since they got back to the castle. This was the second time Hunk had accused him of being unfeeling towards the team and Keith couldn’t stand it. _Of course_ , he wanted to get Lance back and _of course_ , Lance wasn’t just a “Paladin” to him. He cared about Lance. He cared about all of them, but they were in a war and sometimes bad things happen in war.

This rational explanation didn’t stop the incessant pain in Keith’s chest that followed him ever since he realized Lance had been captured. In truth, Lance’s abduction had shaken him to his core. He disliked searching Gesperion just as much as Hunk did, but they had to do it. It was Shiro’s suggestion and Keith was not going to disagree with Shiro, not when he felt like the absolute worst leader in the universe.

That didn’t stop Keith from hating their current course of action, though. Using Pidge’s brain to locate Galran ships was a good call, but it meant waiting. Waiting and doing nothing. Keith _hated_ waiting and doing nothing. It gave him too much time to think about everything that went wrong and all the things he should have done but didn’t.

It all made him feel anxious and desperate to put himself to use. He trained for a couple hours, but Hunk’s words had distracted him so much that he landed on his back far more than usual. He took it as a sign that he should talk to Hunk. If there was anything he _should_ be doing, it was fixing things with the yellow Paladin.

The walk to the kitchens felt longer than it ever had before. Keith worried that he might have ruined his friendship with Hunk forever, that his insensitivity and recklessness had caused even Hunk, the kindest of them, to turn away from him. Keith shook his head.

 _No, Hunk isn’t like that_ , Keith reasoned, but it didn’t stop the knot forming at the base of his throat. When he finally reached the kitchen door, his stomach squirmed. Not one to put off the inevitable, he walked through the door.  

Hunk was at the oven, pulling out a batch of some green pastries and putting them on top of the counter. When he heard the door open, he turned his head toward Keith, but, when he realized who it was, looked back down at the pastries. Keith’s stomach squirmed again.

“Uh, hey, Hunk,” Keith said, testing the waters.

“Hey, Keith,” Hunk said, lacking his usual cheeriness. His voice didn’t sound antagonistic, however, so Keith took that as a good sign and approached the island counter.

“What are you up to?” he asked.

“Just...baking. The Arandorians gave me some of their food and I’ve just been experimenting.”

“Oh. Well, they uh, look good. They kinda smell like banana bread,” Keith said, looking at the pastries.

“You can have one once they cool if you want,” Hunk said, still averting his eyes from Keith’s. Keith wasn’t making much of an effort to look at Hunk either, but he was glad at the small gesture of offering him food.  

“Oh, thanks,” Keith said.

An uneasy silence passed over them and it only reminded Keith how bad he was at this. Sometimes it felt as if he really wasn’t meant for human interaction. He never knew what to say and he always seemed to hurt others. He had confessed as much to Shiro back at the Garrison, and, in typical Shiro fashion, he gave Keith a kind smile and good advice.

_“Talking to people is as much of a skill as anything else. If you want to be better at it, you have to practice.”_

Keith closed his eyes and inhaled. He opened them again and trained his eyes on Hunk.

“Can we talk?” Keith asked and finally, Hunk looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Yeah,” he said and looked at the ground again. Keith took in a deep breath.

“Okay, look Hunk, _I’m sorry_ \--”

“ _I’m sorry!_ ”

Keith blinked. Hunk was looking at him with sad, puppy eyes and his hands laced in front of his chest. They had said the same words simultaneously and it took Keith a moment to realize that Hunk was also trying to apologize.   

“I--why are _you_ sorry?”

Hunk separated his hands and rested them on the counter, his eyes downcast again.

“I said some pretty harsh stuff, dude. I’m just super worried and I guess I was taking it out on you. I know you’re as upset at the rest of us, man. I saw the way you reacted when you found out,” Hunk said. Keith crossed his arms, grabbing at his elbows.

“But you were right! It was a bad idea. I put the mission over Lance’s safety and I never--I should have--I don’t know! All I know is that it was my fault. If it had been anyone else’s call, Lance wouldn’t have been captured,” Keith said, squeezing his elbows tighter.

“Keith, no. _Lance_ wanted to do it. He basically begged you and you trusted him. I would have done the same if he asked me. It was just a bad situation, man. We never know what Lotor’s gonna do.”

Keith looked back up at Hunk who was staring at him, his face fallen and tired.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to get the upper hand on him,” Keith mumbled. Hunk sighed.

“How? It’s like he knows what we’re gonna do before we do.”

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I don’t know. He’s totally different from Zarkon. I can’t get a read on him at all.”

Hunk moved around the island counter on the same side as Keith and pulled himself up to sit on it.

“What do you think he wants with Lance?” Hunk asked, his voice barely above a whisper. The tension in Keith’s chest flared at the question. He hadn’t let his mind wander down that dark corridor, but he supposed that it was going to come up eventually. Keith sighed and turned to face the same direction as Hunk, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed.

“Nothing good.”

Hunk’s hands found each other and began fidgeting.

“Do you think they’re...hurting him? For information?” Hunk asked and the words seemed to wound him. Hunk had said something similar before and Keith could see it weighing on him.  

“Look, Hunk, I know that this really doesn’t look good, but if we get too wrapped up in all the horrible things that could be happening to Lance, we’ll go insane,” Keith said.

“I know, I know. You’re right. It’s just...this is so different than when Shiro went missing, y’know? Shiro’s like this totally strong super soldier guy who’s been captured by aliens before, and Lance is well, y’know, _Lance_! I don’t mean that in a bad way I just--we’re teenagers! We should be worrying about zits and who we want to ask out to homecoming, not...not being tortured by the dude who’s terrorizing the universe,” Hunk said, his frown deepening and water collecting at the corner of his eyes. Keith looked up at him and, madly, a jolt of jealousy passed through him. He forgot how close Hunk and Lance were, and he couldn’t help but be envious of such a relationship.

 _That’s not helpful_ , he thought before he placed a hand on Hunk’s shoulder. Hunk looked down at him.

“I know Lance likes to joke around a lot, but he’s a lot stronger than he seems. You know that more than anybody. He can handle this.”

Hunk looked at Keith for a moment, then gave him a small smile.

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Keith,” Hunk said and Keith smiled back as he took his hand away to cross his arms again.

“Don’t mention it.”

They fell into a silence again, but this time it was easier and more gentle. Keith heard Hunk inhale beside him.

“Do you think we’ll be able to find him? Honestly?”

Keith pushed himself off of the counter and turned so he could face Hunk directly.

“We’ll find him Hunk. We’re going to get him back, okay? _I promise_ ,” Keith said. Hunk looked at him with wide eyes but then nodded. Keith’s hands clenched as the promise repeated itself in his mind.

_I’ll find you, Lance. I promise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> As always, please let me know what you think! Your comments are always extremely motivating and I cherish every single one. Also, please be my friend on [Tumblr](http://thunder-dor.tumblr.com/)! I'd love to say hi! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! RAZZLE DAZZLE!


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team continues their search for Lance, Lotor's plan unfolds, and Shiro gets a job offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple of notes:
> 
> 1.) This chapter is 8k+ words  
> 2.) As always, thank to the wonderful [Emma](http://violaeadde.tumblr.com/) for being my beta!  
> 3.) So...some tags have changed *eye emoji*  
> 3.) There are important notes at the bottom
> 
> Enjoy!

**Dark Blue**

_Chapter Five_

Pidge’s eyes were red and strained as she poured over the data on her computer in the Green Lion’s hangar. Her shoulders and lower back ached from sitting hunched over in her chair for far too many hours. It had been two days since Lance was abducted by Lotor and two days since Pidge had caught a wink of sleep. Locating Galran transmissions to triangulate had been difficult and creating an algorithm was nearly impossible. She had to keep searching, keep digging.

Hunk had tried to convince her to go to bed a couple times, but they were half-hearted attempts. Hunk wanted her to have a breakthrough as much as she did. Still, she appreciated that Hunk brought meals to the hangar, even if she didn’t appreciate the interruptions.

She couldn’t complain too much about interruptions, however, as this had been one of her most quiet, most productive work sessions. Usually, Lance came flying in every hour to bother her over some frivolity or another. Sometimes he wanted to know if she had made any progress setting up the Mercury Gameflux 2 to the Castle monitors (she hadn’t), sometimes he came to borrow her headphones, and sometimes he bothered her to get food goo with him because he didn’t want to go alone.

Now that she thought about it, they were all probably roundabout ways to get her to take a break.

Tension crept into her neck as her shoulders rose to her ears. Pidge had done a good job of keeping her mind off of Lance, but she could only go so long without remembering he was gone.

 _Gone_.

That adjective was attached to too many she people she cared about. She never wanted to hear that word again, unless it was in relation to the Galra.

Pidge took off her glasses and used her thumb and index finger to massage her tired eyes. A dull ache she was too familiar with hit her chest and she let out a frustrated huff.

 _This is useless. Crying over missing people doesn’t help them,_ finding _them helps them_ , she reminded herself. It had been her mantra over the months she was at the Garrison and in space. Missing dad? Get to work. Missing Matt? Nose to the grindstone. Missing Shiro? Shoulder to the wheel. Missing Lance-

The dull ache suddenly became sharp.

 _Back to work, Katie,_ she thought. She interlaced her fingers and stretched her arms above her head, then down in front. She placed her hands on the keyboard and began to type.

She worked for hours, tracking commonalities and anomalies among her data, and looking for more signals to pull from. If she could just track a few more transmissions, hack one more communication tower, she’d have enough data to make a crude map of projected Galra locations.

There was a crick in her neck now that grew more irritated the longer she neglected proper desk posture and a burning in her eyes that worsened every second she stared at her screen.

She needed a break. She _knew_ she needed a break, but she was _so_ close. It didn’t matter how heavy and clouded her head felt, she needed to finish.

Then, like a merciful gift from the heavens, Pidge saw it. An anomaly in the in the signal.

She gasped and typed on the keyboard with lightning speed, trying to triangulate the location of the anomaly.  

“Ha!” Pidge said, finally cracking it. It was a signal coming from a communication tower and Pidge’s body suddenly felt light from excitement. This was enough to at least get them started.

She plugged in the available data and let the computer calculate the algorithm as she leaned back in her chair with a sigh.

 _Now we wait_ , she thought, her eyelids suddenly heavier than they were before. Her eyes closed for a tick and then she shot them open again.

A low, firm purr entered Pidge’s mind and she looked up at the Lion towering over her in the hangar. She saw an image of herself sleeping and another purr force itself into her thoughts.

“I guess I have time for a quick nap. Just a couple minutes though, girl. I want to be up once the computer’s done,” Pidge said and Green purred her agreement. Pidge scooched her chair forward, took off her glasses, crossed her arms over her desk, and let her head rest on them. Her eyelids met like magnets and her body relished in the sweet satisfaction of finally resting.

Sleep overcame her in a tick.

* * *

 

“Number five?”

“AGH!” Pidge cried, startled out of her deep slumber and snapping up in her chair.

“AGH!” Coran echoed, startled himself by her sudden shout.

“Coran! What are you doing?!”

“The princess asked me to check up on you. Are you alright? Hunk told us you hadn’t slept since...well, since you set off to work on your Galra finder. But it looks like we were worried for nothing! You were sleeping like a baby gruzzwhak in the third cycle of the Aranboris!” Coran said.

Pidge’s eyes widened and she switched her attention to her computer.

“Oh no, I slept for _Vargas_ ,” she said, seeing the time. She found her glasses and shoved them onto her her face, then searched for the algorithm on her monitor to check its progress. She gasped as she realized the algorithm had finished. There was a shortlist of coordinates offered, much smaller than the one she made before, but it would have to do.

“Pidge?” Coran asked, but Pidge was already heading for the door.

“Come on, Coran! We’ve got to call everyone to the Bridge, now!” Pidge said.

“Coming!” Coran said, hot on her heels.

They ran all the way to the Bridge, Pidge sweating and breathing heavy by the time they arrived. Still, she darted to her station and began inputting the coordinates into the system. She placed the map up on the holo-display for the others to see when they got there.

“Paladins! Come to the Bridge immediately! Pidge has found something!” Coran said into the mic at his station.

While they waited, Pidge looked through the various coordinates and attempted to find targets with the highest probability of having sensitive information on board. Quickly, she found a coordinate that seemed off compared to the others and started investigating.

As she worked, Keith and Shiro ran into the room with Allura and Hunk close behind.

“Pidge! Did you finish the algorithm?” Hunk asked, slightly out of breath. Pidge stood up from her station as they circled around her. She looked at them and took in their appearances. They all seemed worn and defeated with their tired eyes, sloppy posture, and deep frowns.

“Yeah!” She said, pointing to a highlighted point on the holo-display, ”Look, this ship has a slightly different signal than the other ones. It’s better protected, more secure. I think it might be a ship carrying an official or a high-ranking member of the Galra. My guess is they’ll be the most likely to have classified information on Lotor,” Pidge said and the group immediately perked up like puppies being called for food.

“That’s amazing!” Allura said, clasping her hands in front of her.

“Good job, Pidge! Let’s go,” Keith said, already turning for the door.

“Whoa, Keith. Hold up. We need a plan,” Shiro said. Keith turned to look at him for a beat, nodded, and then brought himself back into the circle.

“Yeah, sorry. What did you have in mind?” Keith asked, crossing his arms.

“We don’t have much to go on and we won’t know much until we can actually get in range of the ship, but I think we should use the Blue Lion’s sonic scan to get a map of the ship, like we did at Beta Traz,” Pidge said, pushing her glasses up on her nose with one finger. Lance’s excited face after successfully saving Slav came to her mind, but she pushed the memory away and focused on Shiro.

“That’s good, Pidge. Do you think you’ll be able to hack into their security system?”

“I doubt it’ll be any more secure than Beta Traz’s system.”

“So, we’ll all be piling into the Blue Lion? Man, the last time we did that I barfed all over the cockpit,” Hunk said, his face scrunching into a frown.

“Yeah, well last time Lance was piloting an alien space lion for the first time. You’ll be fine,” Keith said, causing everyone to wince at the name. Realizing what he said, his eyes widened and then fell to the ground as the room went silent. Hunk stared at Keith and Pidge’s gaze flicked between the two.

 _Oh, that’s right. They were fighting_ , Pidge thought, her fingers twitching at her side.

Then, without warning, Hunk was laughing a big, infectious belly laugh. The rest of the team looked at him with raised eyebrows as he clutched his own stomach.

“ _What_ are you laughing at?” Pidge asked.

“Sorry!” he said through shallow breaths, “I just remembered how Lance totally ripped one in Blue’s cockpit after we jumped through the wormhole for the first time and I--pffffffft,” He said, getting cut off by his own laughter.  

Hunk wiped a tear from his eye and Pidge felt a giggle escape her own lips. The team looked over at her and she covered her mouth with the back of her hand.

“That was _disgusting_ ,” she said, unable to contain her smile.

“Lance ripped _what_?” Allura asked, her head cocking to the side.

This caused Hunk, Pidge, and even Keith to dissolve into laughter, while Shiro’s face flattened into patient stoicism.

“Don’t worry about it, Princess,” Shiro said, ever the mature one, but Pidge saw the corner of his mouth twitch upwards. “Let’s head out. We’ll figure out the rest of the details on the Blue Lion. It’s time to get our Sharpshooter back.”

They all nodded as some of the weight left the room. Allura made her way to the center station and placed her hands on the controls. She inputted the coordinates Pidge had on the holo-display and opened the wormhole to the Galra ship.

* * *

Rygnirath was a planet completely covered in sand and wind. It used to be a proud, powerful planet, but after the death of Gyrgan, ruler of the country and former Yellow Paladin, the climate became uninhabitable for the citizens. Gyrgan had a magical command over the sands of the planet that passed down from Rygnirath’s royal bloodline. Gyrgan never had an heir of his own and he was hunted down, then killed by Zarkon after he was able to successfully hide the Yellow Lion. The sands and winds Gyrgan had once easily kept at peace raged against the villages and cities, collapsing houses, drowning unlucky travelers, and burying important monuments. The inhabitants were quick to evacuate and Rygnirath became a ghost planet, a sad tomb to a once great civilization.

There was one small area on the planet that hadn’t been severely eroded by the elements. On the outskirts of the Royal City was a shrine in the shape of a massive lion’s head that was surrounded by an Altea barrier. The shrine was the same yellow as the sands of Rygnirath and the lion’s head resembled a real, mane-less lion’s head with an open, barred-teeth mouth. The mouth led to an indoor chamber that held one-third of the treasure Lotor was seeking.

Lotor’s ship had landed about a hundred feet in front of the shrine and Lance, under Lotor’s control, was running from the hangar’s ramp to the shrine. He was slowed down by the onslaught of the unforgiving winds and resorted to trudging through the sea of sand beneath him. He took big, deliberate steps and shielded his face with his arm. Lotor had made sure to issue him a Galran helmet to give his eyes and mouth some protection. It would be _inconvenient_ if their Paladin were to die before he fulfilled his purpose.

Lotor was in the ship on the Command Deck with Acxa. He wanted to test how much control he had over Lance with increased distance, so he had decided not to accompany Lance on his mission. So far, with Lance on the ground, growing further and further away from him, Lotor was straining. It was bearable, but he could feel the thread that connected them grow taut. Normally, subjects would try to complete tasks as efficiently as possible while under the influence of the spell and would only  be slowed down by the environment or their own will. It seemed that distance required more concentration from Lotor as it aggravated the connection and emboldened the subject’s determination to fight back. Lotor hoped he could at least get Lance as far as the Shrine before the connection was broken, but if not, Narti and Zethrid were ready to grab him from the hangar.   

As Lance got closer and closer to the shrine, Lotor’s chest filled with anticipation. His father had never been able to gain access to any of the shrines, but he was the only Paladin to ever try. Lotor relished in the idea of doing that which his father could not, but there was no guarantee this plan would work. Lotor worried that only the Yellow Paladin could open the Rygnirath shrine, but his mother had told his father that there were enchantments on the shrine that blocked him and only him from entering. If Lance couldn’t gain entrance, then Lotor’s whole plan became much more complicated.

Lotor watched Lance intently as he approached the stone monolith in front of the shrine entrance. The monolith reached to Lance’s hips and had grooves where the head of the Paladin’s Bayard could fit.

“Lance, take your Bayard and use it on the monolith,” Lotor said into his wrist comm. The Paladin’s hand twitched at his side, resistant to the order, but the Bayard appeared in it a moment later. Lotor’s eyes narrowed as he watched Lance’s arm shake while it slowly made its way to the monolith.

 _He’s resisting more easily than I anticipated_ , Lotor thought, his eyes trained on the Bayard. After what felt like Vargas, the Bayard made contact with the monolith. Lance turned the Bayard like it was a key in a lock and the barrier around the shrine came down. The ground rumbled as stone doors in the lion’s mouth opened and the lion’s eyes glowed bright yellow. Lotor swore he even heard a roar.

Lotor’s eyes widened as he let out a breath he’d been holding in. His chest filled with a mix of pride and excitement as he realized his plan had _worked_.

“Paladin, grab the device within the shrine and bring it back _immediately_ ,” Lotor said into his comm. Lance jumped into the lion’s mouth, still resisting and a sharp pain filled Lotor’s head. Lance’s persistent fighting was wearing on him, but he kept his concentration. It wouldn’t be long now.

Lotor watched as Lance disappeared through the doors and kept his eyes trained on the spot. After a dobosh, he resurfaced with something small and white in his hands. The corner of Lotor’s lips lifted into a smile. The Paladin was moving slowly back to the ship as the shrine put its shield back up. With every step Lance took, Lotor could feel his control over the Paladin strengthening.

He made it to the hangar and Lotor nodded to Acxa to begin the ship’s assent. She nodded back and went to her controls.

“Meet at the Command Deck,” Lotor said into his wrist comm. He was met with a chorus of “yes, sir”s as the ship rose up to the planet’s atmosphere.

“Do you want me to come as well, Prince Lotor?” Ezor asked.

“No, continue monitoring Voltron,” Lotor said.

“Yes, sir!”

Lotor watched out the Command Deck window, the lion shrine growing smaller and smaller.

“Sir, it worked,” Acxa said, her face turned towards Lotor.

“Indeed,” he replied.

“This means…”

“We should be able to retrieve the other two as well, yes.”

“He was completely under your control...even from here,” she said, astonished. Lotor sighed.

“Not completely. The greater the distance, the easier it is for him to fight back. It would be best to keep him nearby from now on. His will is stronger than I thought.”

It didn’t seem to be too big of a nuisance, but Lotor wanted the Paladin to be his obedient puppet, not his reluctant one. It created an uncomfortably large margin of error.

As Lotor mulled over ways to correct this, the command deck doors opened. Lance entered with Narti and Zethrid at his sides. His face was blank, emotionless, while his eyes glowed purple from Lotor’s Quintessence. Lotor looked at Lance’s hand and saw the small device wrapped between his fingers.

“Give it here,” Lotor instructed, holding out his hand. Lance stepped forward and placed the white ball in his hand. Lotor lifted it up and examined it. There was a single white button on its surface. Lotor pressed it and the device hovered out of his hand to the center of the room. The smooth, white surface became decorated with pastel green code lines and holographic images filled the command deck. The images were blueprints of various ship parts and mechanic limbs. Lotor looked on at the site in wonder. He had finally retrieved one piece of the puzzle.

Lotor turned to the Paladin that had made this possible and grinned at him.

“ _Excellent_ work, Paladin,” Lotor said before swiping his hand through the air and releasing his hold on Lance. The Paladin’s magenta eyes faded back to white and blue, and his body attempted to collapse, but Zethrid caught his upper arm before he hit the floor.

“What did you...have me do?” he asked, his voice feeble. Lotor smirked.

“Why, you’re helping me in the fight against Voltron.”

That earned him a satisfying glare from the Paladin, so he continued.

“This,” he said, grabbing the device out of the air and shutting it down, “is one of three pieces to King Alfor’s schematics.”

“Schematics?” Lance asked, his glare softened by his curiosity.

“They’re blueprints.”   

“For what?”

Lotor’s smirked again.

“For Voltron.”

“Wait, _what_?! What are you gonna do with that?!” Lance asked, suddenly lunging forward, but held back by Zethrid’s strength.

“Take him to his cell,” Lotor said with a wave and Narti bound his hands together. Zethrid started pulling Lance towards the door, but he resisted.

“Wait, no! Tell me what you’re doing!” he said, Zethrid still dragging him forward.

“Quiet, prisoner! You’re in no place to make demands of Prince Lotor,” she said, finally pushing him out the door with Narti close behind.

Acxa and Lotor were left alone in the command deck again, their ship well into the recesses of space now. Lotor thumbed the schematic in his hand and offered it to Acxa.

“I want you to analyze this and see how much we can learn from just one piece of the schematics.”

Acxa took the schematic and nodded, “Yes, sir.”

Lotor was about to give her further instruction when Ezor’s face appeared on the command deck’s monitor.

“Prince Lotor! There’s something you should see!” she said and quickly replaced the feed with a video. It was from the inside of the Altean Castleship and all of the Paladins circled around looking at the smallest one.

“. _..Look, this ship has a slightly different signal than the other ones. It’s better protected, more secure. I think it might be a ship carrying an official or a high-ranking member of the Galra. My guess is they’ll be the most likely to have classified information on Lotor._ ” The Green Paladin said, her finger pointing at a dot on a holo-map.

“So, they’ve found a ship to infiltrate, have they?” Lotor asked. They had known that the Paladins were planning recon missions for a couple Quintants, but Lotor hadn’t expected them to find ships so quickly.

“Acxa what ship is at those coordinates?” Lotor asked. Acxa went to her station and typed away at her controls.

“It’s Commander Zatrek’s ship, sir,” Acxa said.

“ _...much to go on and we won’t know much until we can actually get in range of the ship, but I think we should use the Blue Lion’s sonic scan to get a map of the ship, like we did at Beta Traz..._ ” the feed continued.

Lotor let out a small breath of a laugh.

“Clever, very clever,” he said, his eyes still trained on the monitor. They watched the rest of the clip in silence until the Black Paladin made a comment that caught Lotor’s ear.

“ _Yeah, well last time Lance was piloting an alien space lion for the first time. You’ll be fine._ ”

“Interesting,” Lotor said, rubbing his chin with his index finger and thumb.

The feed continued and when he heard the Paladins laugh, a wonderful idea popped into his mind. He smiled.

“Good work, Ezor. This has been helpful in more ways than one.”

“All in a day’s work,” she said with a two-finger salute and the feed blinked out.

“Acxa, set a course for Zatrek’s ship,” Lotor said.

“Do you hope to locate and destroy the Paladins, sir?” Acxa asked, her face even and emotionless. Lotor made an amused “hmph”.

“In a way. First, I want to put on a show for them. Make them realize how truly out-leagued they are, how hopeless their situation is. I want to break their spirits.”

“Why go to such lengths?” Acxa asked.

“If we kill them all now, they become martyrs. When we destroy Voltron, I want hope of rebellion to go with it. If they die broken and weak, no one will want to fight for their honor,” Lotor said, finding his seat and crossing his legs.

“I...see. Do you have a plan?” Acxa asked. With his elbows supported by the armrests, he interlaced his fingers together and a smirk crept onto his face again.

“I do. I’ll need you to prepare the Kuron fail-safe.”

* * *

 “...And the Weblum just _farted_ them out?” Matt asked through stuttered laughter as they walked down a hallway in the rebellion's Headquarters. The Director had given Shiro a couple days to rest, but she was eager to talk to him as soon as possible. Matt couldn’t blame her after hearing all of Shiro’s stories for the past couple days. Not only was Voltron _awesome_ , but Shiro’s team seemed like a perfect alliance for the rebellion. More than that, Voltron was probably the key to taking down the Galra.

“That’s the way Hunk tells it, at least,” Shiro said with a shrug. He was dressed in his Paladin armor and Matt thought it made him look like some sort of space knight. Matt had teased him about it, but Shiro was insistent that he wear it when he met the leader of the rebellion. He wanted to make a good impression and represent Team Voltron with dignity. It was such a Shiro thing to do, that Matt couldn’t bring himself to laugh about it.

“Man, this Hunk guy sounds awesome,” Matt said with another chuckle. Matt loved hearing Shiro’s stories about Voltron and the rest of his team. He liked stories about Hunk and Lance because they were usually pretty funny. Keith’s were too but in a “man-who-does-this-punk-kid-think-he-is” sort of way. His favorite stories, by far, were about Katie though. She was always hacking into Galran databases and ruining their security or using their own tech against them. She was a _pilot_ now, on top of all that. She could fight with the best of them and she was the left hand of Voltron. Matt’s chest always filled with a warm feeling he could only describe as pride when he thought of it. He even bragged to Ugruck and Yiz about her. They sometimes looked annoyed, but he could tell they were really happy for him to be able to see her again.

“Yeah, he is. They all are,” Shiro said, and a sad smile appeared on his face like it usually did when he talked about his teammates.

“You’re worried about them,” Matt said and Shiro sighed.

“I know they’ll be fine without me, but I don’t want to worry them any longer than I have to. I’m sure they’re all thinking the worst.”

As someone who had only thought the worst for a year, Matt knew Shiro was probably right.

“We’ll get there soon,” Matt said with a light pat on Shiro’s shoulder.

They continued down the dimly lit hallway until Matt stopped in front of the elevator to the Director’s office. He punched his ID code into the elevator’s control panel and lined his eye to the camera for it to scan. A small green light lit up on the panel and the doors slid open. They both stepped in, the doors closed, and the elevator began its ascent.

“So, got any tips for dealing with this ominous Director?” Shiro asked. Matt let out a small “Ha!”

“She’s a tough nut, I’ll tell you that much. She can be a little intimidating, but just be honest with her and stand your ground and you’ll be fine,” Matt said, sure that the Director would trust Shiro. He was always someone you could take home to mom and dad, not to mention that the Director had told Matt that Shiro’s profile was “ _very impressive_ ” while he was still recovering.

“That’s the _best_ tip you got?” Shiro asked. Matt rolled his eyes.

“I dunno, Shiro. I guess...she’s always concerned with what will help the rebellion most. If she doesn’t think getting you back to Voltron is the best idea, then she won’t waste resources getting you there, but you don’t have to worry about that because _obviously_ getting you back to Voltron is the best idea.”

The elevator reached the top floor and the doors opened again to the long hallway that led to the Director’s office.

“You’re right,” Shiro said as they walked down the hallway, the elevator doors closing behind them.

“Usually am,” Matt said with a sly grin and Shiro pushed his shoulder, harder than was strictly necessary.

“I forgot how humble you are.”

“And I forgot how freakishly strong you are. Geez, Shiro, you know I bruise easily,” Matt said rubbing his shoulder.  

“Stop complaining and open the door,” Shiro said, the sly grin now on his face. Matt looked at the large metal doors that blocked the entrance to the Director’s office and found the eye-level control panel. He put in his ID and had his eye scanned again, then waited for the Director to allow them entrance.

“Matt?” asked the commanding, musical voice of the Director through the panel.

“And Shiro, Ma’am,” Matt said.   

“Come in.”

A beat passed and the locking mechanisms inside the door began unfastening with multiple _clicks._ Since the Director’s office held some of the rebellion’s most sensitive material, it was given top priority in security. The door opened and the pair walked in together, the door slowly closing behind them.

The Director’s office was large, as it took up nearly half of the entire floor and often acted as a conference room for only the highest-ranking officials. An oversized, round table was situated in the center of the room with comfortable chairs surrounding it. It was a dimly lit room with only a few wall lamps on either end to light it, but the major source of light came from the back wall. It was completely covered by various holo-screens that gave the Director information from spies, scouts, and any other feed or channel she deemed useful. She stood with her back to them, her form silhouetted by the bright blue glow of the holo-screens.

The Director turned around as she heard them approach. She was a tall, slender alien with maroon-colored skin and four arms. Her eyes were black, pupil-less, almond-shaped, and the size of tennis balls.  Her ears were long, smooth flaps that cascaded down to her abdomen and framed her face as long hair would. They were the only part of her body that was without maroon pigment and instead faded into a cream color. She wore the typical, form-fitting rebellion armor, but her chest plate was made with a shimmering bronze material that identified her as their leader, as opposed to Matt’s chest plate, which was made with a dull silver material.

Matt stopped in front of her and respectfully bowed while Shiro followed his lead. She nodded and then flicked her right hands upwards, asking them to rise.

“Takashi Shirogane: ‘Champion’ and the Head of Voltron. It is an honor to finally meet you. I am the Director of the Rebellion, Leilatha of the planet Nofluna” the Director said, raising her top-right hand. Shiro smiled and gave it a firm shake.

“The honor is all mine, and please, call me ‘Shiro’.”

“Of course,” the Director said. She extended all four of her arms out and then clenched her fists. This caused two chairs from the table in the center of the room to roll behind Shiro and Matt. “Please, sit.”

Shiro’s eyes widened as he looked at Matt, who was suppressing a laugh.   

“Sorry, might have forgotten to tell you she’s Telekinetic,” Matt said, his index finger innocently scratching at his cheek. Shiro’s eyes were still wide, but he found his composure quickly and sat down, following Matt’s lead.

The Director gestured at a chair to on the left side of the holo-screen wall and took a seat herself, one long leg crossing over the other. She folded both pairs of hands in her lap and eyed them both.

“My intel has told me a great deal about you, Shiro. To have dominated at the Galran arena, you must be not only strong but resourceful. Forgive me, but human anatomy is considerably weaker than many species we know of,” the Director said.

“Well, that’s probably because Matt was your only sample,” Shiro joked and Matt slowly turned his head to glare at him. Shiro sent him a small smirk before looking back at the Director, who, to Matt’s horror, wore an amused smile.

“Matt has told us of you, while you slept. How you were highly praised on your planet for being a prodigal pilot and soldier. He told us that you bravely sacrificed yourself for his protection. He can do naught but sing your praises.”

Matt’s eyes widened, then narrowed as he quickly covered the palm of his hand over the bottom half of his face. He could tell he was going red and he cursed his complexion.

 _I’ll kill her_ , he thought. Matt was sure Shiro knew how highly he thought of him, but Matt couldn’t help but be embarrassed by the Director’s phrasing.

“I...was just doing what I thought was right,” Shiro said, his voice a little quieter now. The Director nodded.

“You were also the Head of Voltron, pilot of the Black Lion. From what I understand of the Voltron Lions, that is a great honor only bestowed upon those most worthy.”

“Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you--” Shiro started, but he was interrupted by the Director raising two palms to silence him.

“Yes, yes. We will speak of all that. Shiro, I tell you all this because, based on the information I’ve acquired from all over the universe, I think you could be an indispensable asset to the rebellion.”

Matt found himself gripping and un-gripping his right hand. There was something about the conversation that felt out of place, not quite right.

“I want to help the rebellion, Director and the best way to do that is to get me back my team so we can form Voltron once again. Please, help me get to them and Princess Allura will be more than happy to form an alliance with you. If we work together, we’ll stand a better chance than ever against the Galra,” Shiro said. The Director nodded again.

“We fully intend to attempt an alliance with Voltron, but Shiro, I want to talk about _you_.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Forgive me, I’m being cryptic. Shiro, I would like to offer you a high-ranking command in the rebellion’s army,” the Director said.

Matt’s eyes widened and he leaned forward into his seat. He looked from the Director, whose face was flat and void of emotion, to Shiro, whose eyebrows were raised into his hairline.

“Director, I’m sorry, I appreciate the offer, but getting back to my team has to be my priority. They can’t form Voltron without me,” Shiro said, his voice even.

“But they can and have.”

“What?” Shiro asked, his evenness gone after being caught off-guard. The Director motioned behind her using two fingers on her top-right hand and a holo-screen floated in between her and them. The screen began playing a video of a giant robot man with multi-colored limbs fighting with a huge mass of Galran sentry fighters. The robot brought out a square-shaped canon that perched itself on the robot’s shoulders. It let out a fan-like beam that swept across the area and took out a huge number of fighters. Then, the feed looped to the beginning of the clip.

“ _Whoa_ , Shiro, was _that_ Voltron?!” Matt asked, forgetting the implications of the video. Shiro stared at the screen with wide eyes and a colorless face.

“Yes, but...I’ve never seen that attack before,” he said.

“This was taken only a Quintant before you were liberated from Op Zen. One of our informants smuggled this footage to us recently. As you can see, your team has adapted since you were away and seem to be functioning well. I understand the desire to go back to them, but is it the best course of action for the fight against the Galra? Over the years, we have amassed an army, but they need a leader. Your team doesn’t,” the Director said and Matt had to hold back from yelling at her. He respected her, but she often lacked tact. Matt looked to Shiro who was staring at the Director with widened eyes. His chin dropped and his gaze turned to the floor, and Matt could see it. This revelation had hurt him. Matt then faced the Director.

“Director, _with all due respect_ , I’m pretty sure his team needs him regardless if he’s the leader or not.”

“Of course. Please, excuse me, Shiro. I do not mean you are not valued by your team, I only meant in a practical sense. We have soldiers, but few seasoned warriors to _train_ them, to help them protect themselves. There is much we can offer you. You’d immediately become a Level Three ranking officer, the same as Matt, if you joined us. We would provide you with boarding and compensation. Then, when the war is over, we could offer you a prestigious position as part of the New Universe Order,” the Director said, realizing her earlier speech had not helped her case. Shiro stood up.

“Director Leilatha, I appreciate the offer, but my team is worried about me. I don’t know what my role is going to be in the fight against the Galra, but my team is my family and the first thing I need to do is find them. Plus, I made a promise to Matt,” Shiro said, looking at Matt. Matt met his eyes, and he could feel his own face soften. Shiro turned back to the director and continued, “After we find Voltron, then we can talk about how I fit into this war, but until then, I have to respectfully decline,” Shiro said. Matt and the Director stared up at Shiro for several, quiet seconds.

Then, the Director smirked and stood up.

“Very well. I will inform you as soon as I have intel on Voltron’s whereabouts. I have none now, but I expect some soon. I will get you a ship equipped with hyper-speed capabilities and anything else you may need for the journey, but, in exchange, after you are reunited with your teammates, we _will_ have another conversation and with Princess Allura in attendance.”

She extended her top-right arm for him to shake again. Matt watched them carefully, wondering if their demands were too much for each other. Shiro looked down at the hand and then back up to her face. He shook her hand.

The Director smiled and Matt felt air enter back into his lungs.

“I look forward to working with you and your team in the future, Shiro,” the Director said, taking her hand back.

“I look forward to that too.”

“Well, if you are in need of anything while you’re staying here, please don’t hesitate to ask. I want you to feel comfortable here.”

“Thank you, but don’t worry about me. You’ve already done so much,” Shiro said with a genuine smile.

“Of course. If I hadn’t, I’m certain I would have made an enemy of one of my most trusted advisors. I couldn’t risk it,” the Director said with a teasing smirk directed at Matt. He glared daggers at her.

 _I’m_ really _gonna kill her_ , Matt thought, realizing she was really teasing him now. He should never have told her so much when he first brought Shiro to Phenlen, but the joy of getting him back had made Matt a little _careless_. In explaining their history and situation to her, he might have let a couple of tease-worthy morsels of information slip in his euphoria. Now, with his cheeks turning pink again, he was suffering the consequences. Thankfully, Shiro didn’t spare him a look and only smiled politely at the Director.

“Speaking of, Shiro would you mind letting me speak with Matt privately? I have some official business to go over with him. It should only take a moment,” the Director said. Matt raised an eyebrow at her. He had no idea what this “official business” entailed.

“Of course, take your time,” Shiro said, giving a polite bow. The Director turned to her wall of holo-screens and swiped a few keys, allowing the door behind them to open. Shiro turned to leave, but not before sending Matt a small, encouraging smile. Matt returned it and watched Shiro leave the room, the door slowly closing and locking itself again.

“Well? He live up to your expectations?” Matt asked, dropping the formal tone he had been using with her.

“He exceeded them. I figured as much after the way you spoke of him.”

“Yeah, was it strictly necessary for you to tell him that? I’m never gonna hear the end of it.”

“Was it necessary? No. Did I enjoy myself? Yes,” the Director said, a small smirk creeping on her face.

 _I’m really,_ really _gonna kill her,_ Matt thought, narrowing his eyes.

“Alright, so what’s this ‘official business’ you have with me?” he asked.

“It’s about Voltron,” she said.

“Alright, shoot.”

“Are you sure we can trust them?” the Director asked. Matt rolled his eyes, exasperated.

“Are you serious? Director, _of course,_ we can. Look, Katie is the Green Paladin and she’s my little sister, and then Shiro is my best friend. They’re, like, the two people I trust most in the universe and they’re both Paladins of Voltron. We hit the _jackpot_ on most-trustworthy alliance prospects.”

“But we know nothing of the other Paladins or this Princess Allura,” the Director continued.

“We have Shiro’s _word_ about all of them and I _literally_ trust Shiro with my life. What else do you need?” Matt asked. The Director looked at Matt for a long moment, studying his face. She nodded.

“Alright, I’ll tell Corina that she can trust Voltron if she comes in contact with them and I’ll relay any information she has about their location directly to you, but Matt…”

“What?”

“Does this mean we’ll lose you? I have to admit that would be quite the blow to us,” the Director said. Matt sighed and crossed his arms. He knew this conversation was coming.

“I don’t know, Director. I want to be with my sister and find my dad, so that might mean that I’m with Team Voltron for a while.”

“Perhaps, it is not in the rebellion’s best interest to let you find Voltron.”

Matt’s brows furrowed as he stared at the Director.

“I’m not exactly sure what you’re implying, Director, but if you think I’m not going to go find my kid sister just because it’s _inconvenient_ for you--”

“No, no. Of course not. I’m not threatening you. I’m not Galra,” the Director said, waving a couple of hands.

“Then _what_ are you saying?”

“I’m saying...I’m _asking_ what we can do to get you to come back,” the Director said. Matt sighed as he let his arms fall.

“Look, once we make this alliance with Voltron, we can figure all that out. Plus, we can use the far-distance communicator I invented to continue to work together.”

“That will do little to keep Ugruck and Yiz from squabbling,” she said, her voice even but a smirk creeping on her face. Matt rolled his eyes, then shrugged.

“You’re on your own on that one,” Matt said and smiled. He felt a swell of affection for the Director fill his chest. He knew she liked to play the big, intimidating leader, but underneath all that she was a big softy. They had really grown to care for each other over the past year and when the time came, Matt knew it would be hard to say goodbye.  

The Director found her chair again and gestured for a few holo-screens to move from the wall to in front of her. She pressed a finger against one of them and a video feed of the hallway outside of her office popped up. The Director flicked a finger and the screen turned around to face Matt, showing Shiro was standing in the hallway.

“It seems your--what did you call it? Your _best friend_ , is waiting for you outside. You should go back to him,” the Director said, a full-on smug smirk on her face.

“I’m never telling you _anything_ ever again,” Matt said, turning away from her and heading towards the door with a reluctant smile on his face.

* * *

 Lance was lying on the concrete slab in his cell, staring at the ceiling. Again. Being a prisoner of an evil empire was a lot more boring than he thought it would be. He reasoned that was probably better than hours of torture, like he initially anticipated, so he considered that a win.

The hours of isolation and quiet left him to spend his time lost inside his own mind. Sometimes, he rustled around in his memories and thought about his life on Earth. He liked reliving the really happy moments, like the thrilling feeling of riding a wave on Varadero Beach, or when he got his acceptance letter to the Garrison, or the first time he got to hold his niece and nephew in his arms. The first time he was ever called “tío” by his nephew, Hilario, was a memory that popped up a lot too.

When memories of Cuba grew overwhelming, he’d sometimes try to remember his favorite movies shot-for-shot. It was kind of like a puzzle and would keep him preoccupied for a while. So far he’d done two all the way through and five only partially because there were lines he got hung up on.

He thought about his teammates too, but when they come up, he couldn’t help but start worrying about what was happening with them. He wasn’t exactly sure how long he had been captured for, but he grew more and more anxious with every hour he wasn’t rescued.

He spent most of his downtime coming up with dramatic escape plans. None were very feasible as he had a very limited knowledge of the ship he was on. Most of them also included fancy fighting stunts only Shiro or Keith could actually pull off. Another big obstacle was Narti, who was always escorting him and possessed _freaking_ mind-control powers. He wasn’t ever going to be able to escape with her hanging onto him. He figured his best chance was to try and break through Lotor’s spell while he was out in the field, then he could use the environment and the element of surprise to his advantage. Unfortunately, Lance didn’t have a lot of high hopes for that plan either.

Lotor’s spell felt impossible to break free from, even when it was at its weakest. Lance had resisted as much as he could when he was on the sand planet, but all he was able to achieve was slowing himself down.

 _That’s something though_ , he thought, sitting up. He let his knees fold upward and rested his arms on them. Lance knew, no matter what, he had to keep resisting Lotor’s spell, because he was planning something _bad._ There was no way he had good intentions for blueprints to the Lions. What if the blueprints exposed their every weakness? Or worse, what if Lotor was making his own _evil_ Voltron? Lance shivered.

Lance had to figure out a way to sabotage Lotor’s chance at getting the other two schematics. His best hope was getting saved by his friends, but he couldn’t rely on that. There had to be _something_ he could do to fight back against the spell.

Lance thought back to the sand planet. The spell had weakened as he got closer to the lion head, but was that because of the distance or the lion?

 _Maybe if I save my energy for when I’m far away from him or when I’m close to one of those lion-head thingies, then I can fight against it?_ Lance wondered. Still, there was no guarantee he’d ever be so far from Lotor again or that the locations of the other schematics would be like the one on the sand planet. Lance sighed.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt like he could only escape with help, but even that was risky. What if his friends came to break him out, but Lotor used him against them? How could he protect them? A forceful pang hit Lance’s chest as he thought of all the awful possibilities.

The familiar sound of an opening door echoed down the hall and Lance shot to his feet. As far as he could tell, he was the only prisoner in this cellblock which meant that someone was coming to get him. He hated these moments. It meant they were going to use him for something. Lance shuddered before deciding to sit down on his concrete bed, doing his best to make himself look less vulnerable.

The sound of a single pair of footsteps got louder and louder as Lance felt his fingers twitch at his side. Eventually, his visitor showed themselves.

Lotor peered at Lance through the bars with his usual, condescending smirk plastered onto his face. Lance really wished he could smack it off of him one of these Quintants.

“Well, if it isn’t Purple Space Dracula. Hey, can you turn into a purple space _bat_? That’d be pretty cool. It’d improve your looks too,” Lance said, leaning back on his hands.

“Hmph. I know you’re making some obscure reference in an effort to insult me, but I have thicker skin than that,” Lotor said.

“Whatever, what do you want?” Lance asked with a bite that was unfamiliar, even to him.

“I just thought I’d check in on you. How are you enjoying your quarters?”

“Mattress is a little firm,” Lance said, patting the concrete slab he sat on.

“You know Paladin, if you just worked _with_ us, I could give you a room with a real bed. Let you eat foods with flavor, instead of the slop they send you,” Lotor said, still smirking.

“Yeah, nice try buddy, but it’s gonna take a lot more than that for me to ever help the Galra hurt my friends.”

“Oh? Friends? Is that what they are? I’m not sure they’d feel the same.”

“Of course they do. Not that you’d know anything about that.”  
“Funnily enough, I do,” Lotor said, pulling a small device the shape of an open compact mirror out from a pocket.

“What is that?” Lance asked.

“Oh, just what your friends really say about you when you’re gone,” Lotor said and Lance’s stomach dropped to the floor. He didn’t know what that meant, but he knew it would be bad news.

Lotor pressed against the center of the lower half of the comm and a recording began to play.

 _“So, we’ll all be piling into the Blue Lion? Man, the last time we did that I barfed all over the cockpit,”_ said a voice Lance immediately recognized as Hunk’s. Lance’s eyes went wide.

 _“Yeah, well last time Lance was piloting,”_ and this time it was Keith’s voice.

Then, he heard a medley of laughter from his friends.

A pain crept into the center of his chest and began to spread across his entire rib cage. He knew his teammates liked to rib on him from time-to-time, but this was different. Keith had said that without him even there and only a few Quintants after he’d been abducted too. There had been no laughter the days after Shiro went missing, so why was it so easy for them to laugh at him?

Lance shook his head.

 _This is_ exactly _what he wants. Don’t give him the satisfaction_ , Lance thought.

“Doesn’t sound like they particularly miss you, does it?” Lotor asked, and Lance could strangle him.

“Where did you get that? How are you spying on them?” Lance asked, pushing past the bile rising in his throat.

“Well, this has been a nice chat. If you ever want to switch to an actual room, you can let me know after our next mission. Narti and Zethrid will be down shortly to come pick you up,” Lotor said, heading to leave.

“Wait, what mission? Where are we going?” Lance asked. He hadn’t expected a new assignment so soon after the last one. Lotor turned himself back around to face Lance.

“Why,” Lotor started, his mouth curling into a vicious grin, “we’re going to give you a chance to visit your friends.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading chapter 5!
> 
> I wanted to give you a life update since you've all been so kind with my erratic schedule, so this is just a heads up. Very early this morning, my mom passed. She had been battling with colon cancer for over eight years my family and I are devastated. I just wanted to take some time to post this, since it was basically done, and let you all know. I might be writing just as consistently in the coming weeks, as I love writing this fic and it brings me comfort, but I might not. The past month has been the hardest of my life, but writing this and reading all your kind comments has consistently put a smile on my face and I mean that sincerely. I am not abandoning this fic. That is a promise I am making both to you and myself. 
> 
> As always, thank you so much for every kudos, subscription, and comment. They mean so much more than you know. Thank you.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Voltron infiltrates a Galra ship and has an unexpected reunion...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoooooaaaaa hi! So it's uh...been a month. But I'm back with a *12k* chapter. Yeah. 12k. I spent weeks on this thing. Notes:
> 
> 1.) Yeah. It's 12k. I really hope you enjoy because I died about fifteen (15) times writing this.  
> 2.) Hey guys, thank you all for the really kind messages from last chapter. I didn't reply because I simply didn't have the "spoons" to, but I read every single one and they genuinely made me smile, so thank you so much for that guys. It really motivated me to get a bangin' chapter six to ya.  
> 3.) Season 4? I don't know her.  
> 4.) Don't...question my physics. Look, I'll do a lot of research for a fic, but my two-arts-degrees ass draws the line at science.  
> 5.) Reminder that Lotor refers to Keith as Black Paladin, Allura as Blue Paladin, and Lance as Red Paladin.  
> 6.) As always, shout out to [Emma](http://violaeadde.tumblr.com/) for being the best beta a girl could ask for! I cherish every key smash :')  
> 7.) So, uh, the angst tag really hits maximum power this chapter. If this fic were a show, this would be the season 1 finale!  
> 8.) Spoiler-y trigger warning below. Skip right to chapter to avoid (pretty major) spoilers. 
> 
> **Trigger Warnings**  
> 1.) A minor character is killed. They're killed violently with a sword through their chest, but they are not made of flesh and bone, so it's not gore-y.  
> 2.) A major character is injured and the injury is described, but not in great detail.

**Dark Blue**

_Chapter Six  
_

The Blue Lion, filled to the brim with Paladins, was perched on a wayward asteroid near Commander Zetrak’s large, personal ship. The Lion had done something to scan the ship’s floor plan, giving the Green Paladin all the information she needed to infiltrate the vessel.

“ _...So, there’s a large data storage center right in the middle of the ship, but it looks like they have some sort of security computer here, in the south end. I’ll need to hack it before we’re able to take any information. Once I do, I’ll need Hunk to extract the data from one of the towers,”_ the Green Paladin said, pointing to different spots on a map of the ship displayed on her wrist holo-screen. The other Paladins were packed closely together as they listened, while Princess Allura sat at the helm.

“ _I can do that,”_ the Yellow Paladin confirmed with a nod.

“ _What about surveillance, Pidge?”_ The Black Paladin asked. The Green Paladin narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips to one side.

“ _It’s...weird. There’s barely any drones or sentries patrolling the ship. Actually, all of them seem to either be in the hangar or patrolling in front of it. They must be protecting the fighter in there. It’s huge,”_ the Green Paladin said. Lotor narrowed his eyes in frustration as he watched her through the monitor on his ship’s command deck. He had hoped that they wouldn’t have noticed his ship in Commander Zetrak’s hangar but considered himself lucky that they hadn’t been able to recognize it through the Blue Lion’s scan. He had asked Commander Zetrak to make passage easy for the Paladins, but the Commander took it to the extreme and it had stirred suspicion from them.

Lotor’s arms were crossed, but he moved the left one so that it sat on top of his right elbow and his fist hovered in front of his mouth. He slid his thumb against his index finger back-and-forth as he observed the Paladins and calculated his next move.

“ _We should look into that. It could be a superweapon or something,_ ” the Black Paladin said, causing Lotor to squeeze his fist.

“ _No. We’re here to get intel on Lotor and get out. Finding Lance is our top priority. Let’s use their lack of surveillance to our advantage and make this quick_ ,” said a disembodied voice.

 _Good, Kuron. Keep them on track,_ Lotor thought. He knew Kuron had no notion of being an android clone or of being a spy for the Prince of the Galran empire, but Lotor was pleased with him regardless. He had been very useful.

The Black Paladin looked directly into the camera for a beat, looked away, and then nodded.

“ _Okay_ ,” he said, resigned.

“ _Alright, Pidge, how should we proceed?”_ Kuron asked. The Green Paladin studied her map and pressed an index finger to her chin.

“ _Hunk and Allura should get to the data center, while you, me, and Keith head to the room with the security computer. I’ll hack into the mainframe and let down the firewalls on the towers. Hunk, you’ll hook up to the tower I tell you and get the data from there, while the rest of you give us cover. We get in, we get out, just like Shiro said,”_ the Green Paladin said.

“Hey! _Why do you get_ two _bodyguards?”_ The Yellow Paladin asked with a side-eyed glance. The Green Paladin gave him a flat look.

“ _Because Allura’s stronger than both of them combined."_

 _“_ Hey! _”_ The Black Paladin complained. The Green Paladin shrugged and Lotor noticed a satisfied smile plant itself on the Princess’ face.

“ _Alright, enough. Let’s head out team,”_ Kuron said and Lotor switched the monitor off. The corners of his lips curled into a wicked smile as pieces of a plan began to slot into place. Acxa, Ezor, Narti, and Zethrid were behind him on the command deck, eagerly awaiting his instructions.

“Your orders, sir?” Acxa finally asked. Lotor turned to face them, still smiling.

“We’re going to split up. It seems the Yellow Paladin is particularly distressed by Lance’s absence, so Narti, Lance, and I will confront that team, while Zethrid and Acxa—you’ll go after the other three. Acxa, use the fail-safe when you deem it necessary. Do not kill them. Break them,” Lotor said.

“What do you want me to do, Prince Lotor?” Ezor asked.

“I want you to watch the ship and have it ready for an immediate departure. We’ve underestimated the Paladins before, I won’t do so again. We will retreat if the plan goes south,” Lotor said.

“ _Aww_ , I wanted in on the action too,” Ezor said with a pout.

“There will plenty of chances in the future, Ezor.”

“I know,” she said with a sigh.

“Sir, can I make a suggestion?” Acxa asked and Lotor turned his attention towards her.

“Go ahead.”

“Allow me to confront them by myself. The Princess and the Yellow Paladin are physically the strongest of all the Paladins and I believe Zethrid’s strength will be of greater use to you than to me. I will have sufficient help,” Acxa said, her demeanor calm and collected.

“Acxa, I believe I explained that I do not wish to underestimate the Paladins again. Going by yourself seems reckless, especially for you.”

“I know, sir, but I am certain I can cause more damage to the Black Paladin in particular if I go up against him on my own,” Acxa said and Lotor considered her a moment. Lotor revered Acxa’s opinion and trusted her judgment, but it seemed risky. Still, Lotor could see how much more insulting the defeat would be if Acxa went it alone. Well, _nearly_ alone.

“Hmm. Alright. Zethrid, you’ll come with me,” Lotor said and Zethrid let out a triumphant “Ha!”

“Perfect! I’ve been wanting a rematch with the Princess!” Zethrid said, clasping a mighty fist.

“Well, since that’s settled—Narti, Zethrid, go get Lance, won’t you?” Lotor asked, his smirk returning.

* * *

 

Getting on to the ship was too easy. Running down the corridors and hallways was too easy. The entire thing so far was _too easy_.

Keith was on edge. He kept looking over his shoulder, just waiting for a sentry or Galran soldier to pop out of a corner to mow them down, but they just kept moving without resistance. When had they ever just walked on to a Galran ship without _resistance_?

The trek to the south end of the ship was long and nerve-wracking. Keith’s hand twitched by his Bayard and Pidge made sure to strafe a corner every time they had to make a turn. Every empty hallway felt like a trap and even Shiro was starting to look uncomfortable.

“Don’t let your guard down,” Shiro said as the three of them crept down another long hallway, “Allura, Hunk--status update.”

“ _I_ _t’s ghost town down here, dude. We haven’t been stopped_ once,” said Hunk’s voice over the comms.

“Yeah, same here,” Keith replied as the trio reached the end of the hallway that splintered off to the right and left. Pidge looked at the map on her wrist holo-screen and pointed to the left.

“This way,” she said and took off down the left hallway with Shiro and Keith flanking her.

“ _I’m getting a bad feeling, guys_ ,” Hunk said.

“I know. We all are, but we have a mission, Hunk. Just stay calm and be on high alert,” Shiro said, his voice steady. Keith heard Hunk sigh through the comms.

“ _Yeah, okay._ ”

“Are you guys at least getting close?” Shiro asked.

“ _Yes, we’ll be there shortly_ ,” Allura said.

“Okay, good--” Shiro started, but was interrupted by the distorted sound of lasers and Hunk’s cry through the comms.

“ _Allura! Get down!_ ”

“Hunk! Allura!” Pidge yelled, stopping all of them in their tracks.

“What’s happening?!” Keith asked.

“ _I_ _t’s just a few sentries! We’ll be fine, just keep going!_ ” Allura said through grunts and the sound of gunshots being picked up by her mic.  

Keith looked at Shiro who was closing his eyes and clenching his fists at his sides in concentration. He opened them with fresh determination in his eyes and looked from Pidge to Keith.

“Come on, let’s go,” Shiro said, continuing down the hallway. Pidge and Keith exchanged worried glances before following him.

“Shiro!” Keith called, worry knotting in his stomach.

“ _We’re fine! Just go!_ ” Allura yelled into her comm. Keith growled as he remembered the last time he left team members to fend for themselves. Still, he followed Shiro down the hall until they were met by another fork in the road.

“Where next, Pidge?” Shiro asked, looking back at her. Pidge squinted at her map and pointed to her right.

“Right!”

Shiro nodded and they dashed down the hallway with Allura and Hunk’s safety still weighing on them.

Then, Shiro abruptly stopped, causing Keith to almost crash into him.

“Shiro, what are you--” Keith began to say, but he stopped himself when he noticed what had given Shiro pause.

Standing in the center of the hall, all by herself, was the Weblum Galra. Her face was emotionless as she pointed her blaster right at Shiro, her eyes trained on him.

“ _You_ ,” Keith hissed. The Galra flicked her eyes over to Keith and moved her blaster to train on him.

“It would be best for all of us if you _stood down_ ,” she said, her voice grounded and even.

“Yeah, right,” Keith said before zipping out from her line of fire, pulling out his Bayard, and closing the distance between them. The Galra shot at him, but the blast only whizzed by his ear as he swung his Bayard at her. She quickly dodged him and ran at the right-side wall, launching herself off of it. Keith matched her speed, turned, and put up his shield before her next shot could hit him.

He put down his shield and launched towards her, but she sidestepped him and shoved him face-first into the wall. He pushed himself off the wall and turned around with a mighty swipe towards her. It _just_ missed her torso as she jumped back from him.   

He was about to lunge at her again when she suddenly dropped to the floor. Keith’s eyes widened as he looked for the source of her fall and soon found the bright green glow of Pidge’s Bayard wrapped around one of the Galra’s legs. The Galra scowled and grunted at them.

“You’re _really_ going to want to hear what I have to say, Paladins,” she said, grabbing hold of the green line binding her. She pulled the line so hard that Pidge came flying towards her and she let out a surprised gasp. The Galra whipped her body around and landed a hefty kick square into Pidge’s stomach. Pidge landed hard on the ground and let out a soft “oof” as the line slackened around the Galra’s leg.

“Pidge!” Keith cried out and went to her. The Galra took the opportunity to backflip herself away and create distance between them. Keith wrapped one arm beneath Pidge’s slim shoulders and propped her up, while Shiro guarded them and stared down the Galra directly in front of him.

“You okay?” Keith asked as Pidge shifted and groaned.

“Yeah, just...got the wind knocked out of me,” she said, now attempting to stand.

“Stand down, now and we won’t hurt you,” Shiro said, his arm in front of him glowing purple and ready to fight.

“You’re really in no position to tell me that,” The Galra said as Keith helped Pidge onto her feet. They quickly readied their Bayards as the Galra pulled out a small, hand-held device from a compartment on her suit.

“We’ll see about that,” Keith said as he contemplated the best way to attack her next.

“Three on one is hardly fair. Let’s even the odds,” the Galra said, her voice cold and even as she pressed down on a button on her handheld device, “Kuron-X5D, attack!”

Keith looked around for the impending attack from this “Kuron-X5D”, but then got distracted by Shiro turning around to face them, his eyes closed.

“Shiro?” Keith asked, his heart suddenly racing.

Then, Shiro opened his eyes and their usual grey coloring was replaced by an angry yellow that covered them completely.

Pidge gasped as they both stepped back from him. Keith’s mind raced to find an explanation for the sudden transformation, but could only think of the button the Galra had pressed seconds earlier.

“ _Shiro?_ ” Keith asked, his voice shaky. Hearing his name triggered something inside of the older man as his face scrunched into a scowl and his right arm burned purple. Keith realized too late that he was prepping it to attack him and let out a shout when he narrowly dodged Shiro’s first swipe at him.

“Shiro!” Pidge shouted as Keith used his Bayard to block another vicious attack from Shiro’s arm.

“Shiro! What are you doing? It’s me, Keith!” Keith said, frantically blocking the merciless onslaught of attacks coming from the person he considered a brother. He felt himself get backed further and further down the hallway as he saw the Galra attack Pidge from the corner of his eye.

“ _Keith! What’s going on with Shiro?_ ” Hunk asked with a panic-stricken voice through the comm. Keith could only grunt in reply as he continued to dodge and block Shiro without taking any shots of his own. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Shiro when he was clearly being controlled somehow.

This tactic seized to work, however, as Shiro’s superior strength finally overpowered Keith with a lunge so powerful it knocked Keith back onto the floor.

All Keith could do was look up at him. Shiro, a man he knew would rather die than hurt any of his friends, than hurt Keith, wanted to _hurt_ him. Shiro looked down at him with a colder glare than Keith had ever seen on his face. It was the face of someone looking down at a cockroach it was about to crush.

A cold shiver ran up Keith’s spine as he backed away from Shiro, using his feet and hands to push himself back. As Shiro inched towards Keith, immobilizing fear struck his heart. He saw a flash of the day they first met when Keith got detention his first day of classes at the Garrison. Shiro had been so kind and encouraging, despite all of Keith’s stupid behavioral issues. It seemed impossible that the gentle mentor who had helped him dozens of times before was trying to hurt, possibly even kill, Keith now. He felt a lump form in his throat as his eyes blurred from water pooling in them.

“Shiro, _please_ ,” was all he could say before Shiro raised his arm and brought it down in a blur of purple.

* * *

 

They just kept _coming_. Allura was taking out sentries fairly easily, but where a sentry was taken down, another would take its place.

Allura and Hunk were fighting the sentries back-to-back, both of their Bayards dismantling sentries and leaving a sea of wrecked robot limbs along the hallway. Allura swiped at two charging sentries, cutting them in half at the waists and they crumpled to the ground with loud, metallic clunks.

“ _Allura_! There’s no end to these guys! What do we do?” Hunk asked, shouting over the din of their battle.

“We need to get to the data center. I’ll lock them out while you extract the data!” Allura shouted back as she tore into the next wave of sentries.

“Shouldn’t we go help?! Something’s up with Shiro!” Hunk said before releasing another devastating blast from his Bayard.

“We won’t be any help if we lead an army of sentries right to them! We have to shake them off first. Maybe by the time we get to our destination, the others will have gotten to theirs,” Allura reasoned, not completely convinced herself. In truth, she wanted to run to the others but worried about aggravating the situation. Her stomach twisted into an ugly knot at the thought of them getting hurt, but she wanted to believe in them.

Hunk, however, was won over by the argument and shouted, “Okay, let’s go! I’ll need you to cover me!”

Allura looked over her shoulder at him and nodded. Hunk nodded back, put away his Bayard, and brought up the holo-map screen from the wrist of his armor. Hunk motioned for her to follow him as another set of sentries blocked their way. With two masterful swings of her Bayard, Allura cut them down and Hunk took the opportunity to run forward down the hallway that led to the data center. Allura was quick to follow, but so was a group of sentries.

“We’re really close!” Hunk said, his voice labored from the fight.

“ _How_ close, Hunk? They’re right behind us!” Allura said, nervousness running up her throat like bile. Hunk braved a glance behind him and saw the group of at least five sentries gaining on them, then let out a brief, shrill “Ah!”

“Oh man, oh man, oh man!” he said, his eyes wide with fear and his pace quickening, “It should be down the next hallway!”  

Allura kept in step with Hunk as she looked behind her again. She gasped as she realized the number of sentries following them more than doubled.

“What? What’s wrong?! You gasped and it didn’t sound like a good gasp. It sounded like an ‘oh no our situation just got way worse’ gasp,” Hunk said, his speech getting rapid like it usually did when he was anxious.

“Just keep running, Hunk!”

Hunk let out a whine but obeyed her instructions as he turned right down another hallway.

“It’s here, it’s here, it’s here!” Hunk said, pointing to the automatic-sliding doors at the end of the decidedly narrower hall. The doors stretched as high as the ceiling and their width nearly went from wall-to-wall.

They reached the doors and Hunk went right for the door’s security panel, hunching down to bring himself level to it. Allura placed herself behind him and activated the shield on her armor to block the barrage of gunfire coming from the blasters of the small army of sentries now closing in on them.

“Hunk?! Hunk, can you open it?” Allura asked, wincing at the force of the blasts against her shield.

“Y-yeah, I think I can. I just need a moment!”

“We don’t have a _moment_ , Hunk!”

The strain in her voice caused Hunk to finally look behind himself and when he did, he let out a prolonged “AAAHH!”

“You didn’t tell there were so many! I knew that was an ‘oh no our situation just got way worse’ gasp! I knew it!” Hunk said, going back to the panel.

“Hunk, _hurry,_ ” Allura pleaded. The sentries were so close now that they were slowing down their pace. Allura decided it was time to take down her shield, take them head on, and hope for the best.

She had just lowered her shield when the sentries stopped dead in their tracks. The purple lights that decorated their faces and chests flickered out, and their bodies buckled to the floor. The sudden chorus of several metal bodies crashing into the steel ground caused Hunk to stop his work on the door panel and look back.  

“What...happened to them?” Allura asked.

“Who cares? Let’s just get inside already! The sooner we get off this ship, the better,” he said as he went back to back to the panel and continued to rewire it.

Within a beat, the doors slid open and Hunk blinked up at them in surprise.

“Well done, Hunk,” Allura said and Hunk looked up at her, then back at the panel with furrowed brows. He shrugged as Allura headed through the doors and he followed behind.

The data center was a large, expansive room with two floors. The bottom floor was filled with various workstations in the center and data towers lining the walls. The second floor only extended as far as the middle of the room, leaving half of the bottom floor with very high ceilings. The second floor hung over the first like a balcony and two staircases allowed entry at its start in the middle of the room. Allura could not make out much of the second floor as it was darker than the first floor. Like many Galra ships, It was lit with the usual dim magenta color that made even the most innocent of rooms feel menacing. Still, she could just make out some data towers and assumed they stretched back as far as the back of the room.

Allura and Hunk made their way to their way to the workstations when the sliding doors violently shut behind them. They both turned back with widened eyes.

Then, a voice like cold silver sung out to them from the second floor.

“My apologies, Paladins,” said the voice. Allura looked for the source and turned her gaze upwards. From the darkness, a figure approached with lilac skin and long, white tresses. Allura readied her Bayard as the figure hovered over them from the edge of the second floor. “I told Commander Zetrak to spook you a bit with the sentries, but he overcompensated it seems.”

Then, two more figures approached from the inky blackness of the second floor. One was eyeless with a cat-like creature perched on her shoulder and the other was a hulking brute with bat ears. Allura recognized them immediately.

“ _You!_ You’re Lotor’s generals!” Allura said, the pieces coming together in her mind.

“Then that means…” Hunk started, his face transforming from wide-eyed confusion to sharp, tight anger. He pointed his Bayard at the figure without hesitation.

“It’s nice to finally meet face-to-face like this Yellow Paladin, Princess Allura,” Lotor said with a sick, slimy grin and nodded to each of them

“ _Where_ is Lance, you creep?!” Hunk growled. Lotor’s grin only grew more twisted.

“Why yes, _of course_ , you’d be eager to see your friend. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? Let me get him for you. Lance? Would you care to join us?” Lotor asked, his words echoing throughout the storage center.

Slowly, a figure began forming from the darkness of the second floor. It was tall, lanky and in the shape of Altean armor. It didn’t take long for Allura and Hunk to recognize him.

“ _Lance!_ ” Hunk cried, a full, genuine smile spreading across his face.

It was too soon for celebration, however, because as the closer Lance got to the edge of the second floor, the clearer it was that something was _off._

The usual, confident gait was gone and was instead replaced by the robotic, calculated walk of a soldier out to war. It wasn’t until Lance stood right next to Lotor that Allura noticed his eyes. The sight made her gasp and cry out his name.

“What have you _done_ to him?!”

Lance’s eyes were emitting a purple luminescent that covered the whites of his eyes and his blue irises.This combined with the unnatural walk made him feel like a puppet, completely under someone else’s control. Allura could feel Hunk trembling next to her.

“Don’t worry. He hasn’t been harmed. I guess you could say that Lance and I? Well, we’ve reached an _understanding,_ ” Lotor said, the tone of which cut Allura to the core and made her shiver. Based on what Empress Jyadra had told her on Gesperion, Allura was certain Lance was under the spell of Lotor’s quintessence and his general’s magic, making a prisoner of him within his own body. Allura tightened her free fist and glared up at Lotor with as much malice as she could muster.

“‘Yeah, sure--’ _Understanding_ ’! You’re controlling his mind! Give him back!” Hunk demanded, his Bayard fully charged and ready to go.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Paladin. Lance here has agreed to help me with a little task and I can’t have you getting in the way. Narti! Zethrid!” Lotor said, looking at both. His two generals glanced at him, the large one--”Zethrid”, based on Lotor’s gesture--giving him a sharp-toothed grin, then back down at the Paladins. They leaped off of the second floor and landed with bent knees on the first. They straightened and both began stalking towards them--Narti in line with Hunk and Zethrid with Allura.

Hunk and Allura both prepared their Bayards as the two got closer. Narti gave a quick whip of her tail and Zethrid, still sporting a broad, disturbing smile, looked at Allura as if she was the juiciest piece of meat in the whole cosmos while she’d been starved for quintants.

“I’ve been _really_ looking forward to this, _Princess,_ ” Zethrid said, taking out her large blaster.

Allura took a couple steps back, feeling like small prey being cornered by a carnivorous predator. Fear tangled in her chest as she remembered their last encounter with these generals. It had been five-on-four that time, and they still couldn’t get the upper hand. Allura’s stomach dropped as Zethrid’s stare only became more piercing.

Then, Allura glanced up at the second floor. She saw Lance, standing with perfect army posture next to Lotor. His eyes were dead from the magenta quintessence spilling from his lids and his face, usually so expressive, was soulless and without any trace of himself. His body was being used as a puppet for Lotor’s gain and a sudden wave of hot, searing anger hit Allura’s chest and spread into her limbs. She averted her gaze back to Zethrid and felt her face twist into a nasty sneer that visibly startled the Galran General.

“I won’t disappoint you,” Allura said before letting her Bayard fan out to her side. Zethrid fired a series of shots her way, but Allura dodged and blocked them easily. She made a running leap towards the Galra and brought her Bayard swinging down on to her. Zethrid’s eyes widened before she raised an arm to block the attack, but it did her no good as Allura’s Bayard was able to wrap around her arm. Zethrid scowled and tried to rein Allura to her like she had their last battle, but instead of fighting it, Allura allowed Zethrid to propel her through the air. She came flying at Zethird with her fist prepared. Zethrid’s eyes widened when she realized Allura’s flying fist was heading straight for her face, but it was too late. Allura’s fist cracked against Zethrid’s nose with devastating force. Allura fell back on her haunches as Zerthrid brought her claws to her nose and roared her pain.

While Zethrid was distracted, Allura sent the tail of her Bayard to Zethrid’s vulnerable torso. It wrapped around the spot and Allura pulled it to make sure it was secure. Zethrid felt the tug and looked down, but before she was able to grip onto it, Allura started running and dragging her along. Zethrid tried to dig her heels into the ground, but the rage and adrenaline in Allura’s veins were increasing her strength tenfold. It was Lance’s smile she thought of as she placed the base of her Bayard behind her head, planted her feet, and, with all of the strength she could muster, pulled her Bayard down in front of her. This shot Zethrid into the air, arcing her over Allura’s head, and slamming her against the floor with such force she left a dent in it. Zethrid, lying face up on the ground, groaned as Allura snapped her Bayard back from the Galra’s torso, realizing the blow had rendered her immobile.

Allura turned her attention over to her teammate, who was having difficulty with his opponent. Hunk held his shield up against her incessant, whipping-tail attacks, but was unable to strike back. Narti, tired of the shield, turned her attention to Hunk’s vulnerable feet. Her tail quickly snaked around one of his ankles and yanked hard, causing him let out a yell and fall flat on the ground. Then, Allura remembered a key piece of information.

“Be careful, Hunk! She’s the general that has mind control powers!” Allura shouted to him as she let her Bayard fly out toward the aforementioned Galra. Narti, far quicker than Zethrid, jumped back from the attack and dodged it. Hunk picked himself off the floor and unleashed a barrage of blasts at her without mercy. Narti was able to dodge many of them, but one landed on her left shoulder and another on her right thigh. The two shots blew her back into one of the workstations, giving Allura the chance to sic her Bayard on her once again. The tail of her Bayard wrapped tight around Narti’s neck and Allura pulled tight. The force jutted Narti forward and her hands scratched at the whip around her neck, but she couldn’t budge it, and the lack of oxygen caused her to fall to her knees. Allura kept her grip taut until Narti finally collapsed onto the floor passed out. Allura zipped back her Bayard and turned her focus up at Lotor.

Lotor, meeting her eyes, smiled a crooked grin and let out a full laugh.

“Paladins, I’m _impressed_. Especially with you, Princess. I had no idea you were such a gifted warrior.”

“ _Enough!_ Lotor, I will not warn you again. Let our comrade free, or you will meet the same fate as your underlings,” Allura said, her voice booming with a commanding timbre that could only be possessed by royalty.

If Lotor was shaken by Allura’s threat, he made no indication of it. Instead, he let out an amused “hm”.

“That _is_ a frightening thought, however, I don’t think you’re in a position to be making such threats when _I’m_ the one with a skilled marksman on higher ground.”

Allura’s eyes widened and she allowed herself only the smallest of gasps. Lotor’s grin got wider as he trained his eyes on the marksman in question.

“Lance,” Lotor said, stretching out the vowel sound and then looking back at Allura with cold, lilac eyes, “make them dance.”

* * *

 

“Shiro, _please!_ ”

Pidge snapped her head towards the tortured plea that tore itself from Keith and cried out to him. She wanted to run to him, to help Shiro snap out of whatever spell he was under, but Lotor’s general was sending a wave of blasts at her, making lowering her shield and turning her back impossible without being hit.

Pidge looked frantically around the hallway to gain any sort of advantage in the situation, but she found _nothing_ because her brain wasn’t working, and nothing made sense _because Shiro was attacking Keith._

She held her shield up and stood her ground, her eyes flickering over to where Shiro had cornered Keith like a mouse in a snake terrarium. Keith looked up at Shiro with wide eyes and a lump formed in Pidge’s throat because she had never seen Keith look so vulnerable and scared.

Shiro raised his Galra arm and the General kept firing. Pidge squeezed her eyes shut and grit her teeth, knowing there was no way she could allow Keith to get hurt.

She dropped her shield. Shiro swung his arm.

The detachable end of Pidge’s Bayard flew through the air, steady and true, and hit Shiro’s wrist--electrocuting him and causing him to cry out in pain. Pidge winced at the sound.

Shiro’s head whipped around to look at Pidge, but she didn’t recognize his face at all. It was twisted and ugly with rage, and his eyes glowed in a frightening yellow color. Pidge’s stomach dropped as she realized Shiro was going to attack her next.

That was, until, a fist connected to the left side of Shiro’s helmet and sent him reeling back. In a flash of red and white, Keith was attacking Shiro again with a new vigor. With Keith safe for now, Pidge noticed that she miraculously hadn’t been hit by any gunfire.

As she made this observation, strong, rough hands grabbed her by the shoulder and slammed her into a wall with so much force it knocked the air out of her.

The Galran General glared at her and placed both of her hands against the middle of Pidge’s arms, pinning them to her sides. Pidge tried to wriggle free and kick against her to escape, but it was futile in competition with Galran strength. Still, Pidge’s resistance was trying the Galra’s patience.

“Listen, listen! _STOP!_ ” the Galra demanded. Pidge didn’t yield.

“I’m not interested in anything you have to say! Now! Let! Me! _GO_!” Pidge said, punctuating each word with kicks that never landed. The Galra growled.

“You’ll want to hear what I have to say! I’ll let you go as soon you do, I _promise_.”

“Why should I listen to you!? You just sicced Shiro on us and your Lotor’s lackey!”

“I know where your brother is.”

Pidge’s eyes widened and the wind got knocked out of her all over again.

“Y-you’re lying” was all Pidge could say.

“I’m not and I have proof, but you have to believe me. He’s on the rebel base planet Phenlen and I have a drive chip in my suit with coordinates, along with more intel that you’ll find useful, including--”

The Galra was cut short by Keith letting out a strained, thunderous “SHIRO! Snap out of it!” as Shiro’s hand made a deadly accurate swipe that hit Keith in his ribs, cracking through the armor there.

“Keith!” Pidge cried as he stumbled backward with a hand on his ribs and the other holding out his Bayard. She tried once again to break free from the Galra’s grasp but failed. The Galra pressed harder into Pidge’s shoulders and forced Pidge to look back at her.

“You have to convince your friend to fight to kill or get him out of the way! That isn’t the Shiro you once knew. He’s an android built from the collected memory of the real Shiro to spy on you and your team.”

Pidge’s mind was racing with a flurry of confused thoughts. It couldn’t be true, could it? There was no way Shiro was an android. No, the Galra _had_ to be lying.

And yet…

Shiro had been _weird_ lately. It was subtle, but it was there.

“I-I don’t--” Pidge started, but was interrupted again.

“We don’t have time!” The Galra said, letting go of Pidge and grabbing a small chip from a hip compartment on her suit, “This will tell you everything. You may not trust me now, but you will when you go through it. _I’m on your side_.”

The Galra held out the chip for Pidge to take and Pidge looked into the eyes of the Galra. Her eyes were steadfast and determined. They were the eyes of someone who had a mission, the eyes of someone honest. Pidge took the chip.

The Galra nodded and was about to say something, but was interrupted by Keith being tossed down the hallway and crashing to the floor.

“Keith!”

“We need to end this now. Listen, go to your friend and take him away. I’ll destroy the android--”

“Whoa, whoa! You want to _kill_ Shiro? No, no way,” Pidge said, her trust retreating.

“He’s _not_ Shiro. He’s a machine. A machine that’s been feeding Lotor surveillance footage whenever you were in the room with it.”

“How can I _possibly_ just go on blind faith that you don’t just want Shiro dead?” Pidge asked. The Galra scowled.

 “We don’t have time for this. Your friends are in danger and you need to get to the data control center _immediately_. And put that away somewhere safe!” the Galra snapped, pointing at the chip. Pidge hastily put it in the storage compartment in her wrist guard.

“I’m still not going to help you hurt Shiro!”

“Okay, you want proof? Do you have a thermal scanner installed in your armor?” The Galra asked.

“ _Of course_ , I have a thermal scanner installed in my armor.”

“Well, then, try it on your ‘ _friend_ ’.”

Pidge looked at the Galra and then at her wrist. She pulled up her thermal scanner while she kept one eye on the Galra. A holo-screen with a dark blue background popped up and she hovered it over where Shiro and Keith were fighting.

Pidge gasped.

Keith’s silhouette was bright with red, orange, and yellow hues, but Shiro’s heat signature was all blues and purples. He was far too cool to be human.

“Believe me now?” The Galra asked.

“I-I don’t understand. How can he be an android? And why do you want to help us?”

“The chip explains everything, I promise. First, we must destroy Kuron,” the Galra said, looking at the android.

“But--”

“Katie,” The Galra said and Pidge snapped her head up when she heard her birth name, “The sooner we take out this android, the sooner I can get you to your brother.”

Pidge’s eyes widened and she searched the Galra’s eyes, but they were as unflinching as before. Keith let out cry as Shiro landed a hit on his shoulder and Pidge decided the time for second-guessing was over.

“Okay, fine! But can’t you just shut him down with that remote you were using before? You made him attack us!”

“No! My commands are logged and will be sent to Lotor. He’ll know I betrayed him if I do that and my mission isn’t over yet. I’m a spy for the rebellion. We need to make this seem like you destroyed him.”

“Okay, what do I need to do?” Pidge asked. The Galra then pulled out a violet hilt that was missing its blade. She pressed a small, circular button on its center and a glowing, violet blade materialized from the top of the hilt. Pidge gasped, both amazed by the tech, but also horrified that it was about to be used on someone she considered her friend only minutes before. Pidge gulped and swallowed the thought down.

“Get your friend-- _Keith_ \--out of here. From what I understand of the Black Paladin, he will not take well to my attack on his friend, android or not, so take him straight to the data control center,” the Galra said, shifting her looks between Pidge and Keith, who was now backing away from a stalking Shiro. It was then that Pidge realized that the real Shiro would never be so determined to hurt Keith. No matter what, he would resist. This... _thing_ showed no resistance to his directive. Pidge’s felt her jaw tense as she nodded.  

“I’ll give you an opening,” was all she said before she dashed down the hallway, Bayard ready. Shiro, or _the android,_ had made a terrible mistake in keeping his back open to her. She shot her Bayard at the android’s feet and it wrapped around one of its ankles. She yanked back on her Bayard as hard as she could and was thankful she had enough strength in her to force the android’s foot from underneath him, causing him to faceplant onto the floor.

The android let an “oof” escape him and Pidge retracted her Bayard. She ran for Keith who was staring at her with wide eyes and an open mouth.

She crashed into Keith’s right arm, hooking hers around it and began pulling him further down the hall.

“Keith! We have to go, _now!_ ” she said. Keith stood his ground and resisted her weak attempts to move him.

“We can’t leave Shiro!” Keith said, looking down at her with knitted brows and fire eyes.

“It’s not him, Keith. It’s an android! Just, argh! You’ve got to listen to me!” she said, pulling against him once more.

By this time, Android Shiro was up and baring his teeth at them, the glow of his eyes growing more intense as his rage increased.

“What do you mean, he’s an _android_?!”

“Keith, _please_!” Pidge said as the Android powered up its Galran arm. The android let out a frightening cry and Pidge gripped Keith’s arm even tighter as a wave of fear hit her. Then, a noise like metal slicing metal rang through the hallway.

The angry, twisted face of the android fell into something soft and confused. Pidge’s gaze moved from his face to his chest and she gasped.

The glowing, violet blade that belonged to the Galra protruded from the center of Shiro’s chest. The blade twisted counter-clockwise and created a large, gaping hole in his torso. The blade retracted as Keith let out a cry. Pidge could see right through the hole to where the Galra was standing, her unique blade in hand. Looking closer at the hole, Pidge could see there was no blood, but only black oil that oozed from the wound and a mess of splayed, cut wires protruding from it.

The android’s eyes flickered and faded from their yellow glow back to the usual grey of Shiro’s and it made sputtering gasps as his hands made feeble attempts at reaching for the wound. Instead, his knees gave out from under him and he fell forward, first on his knees and then face down onto the floor. Pidge stopped breathing.

“ _SHIRO!_ ” Keith cried and he tore his arm away from Pidge with such force that she had no hope of holding on. He immediately ran for the body and kneeled down beside it. Carefully, he grabbed one of the android’s shoulders and turned him over so his back was on the ground.

Pidge started for Keith but stopped when her eyes met the Galra’s. The Galra stared back for a long, tense moment before she broke away from Pidge’s gaze and ran down the opposite end of the hallway, disappearing behind a corner.

Pidge put her attention back on Keith and knelt beside him as he took in the damage.

“Shiro, _no_! You can’t be dead. _You can’t be dead_!” Keith said, his voice thick with emotion as he shook the body gently. The android made no response. His eyes were open, staring at nothing and his body was still as stone. Pidge put a tentative hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“Keith. _Keith_. It’s not--it’s not him. Look,” Pidge said, pointing her free hand at the wound, “He’s not _human_ , Keith.”

Keith’s gaze followed her finger and his eyes bore into the wound for several seconds. Slowly, he brought his face up to look at Pidge and she felt her heart break when she saw the unsurmountable hurt collected in his eyes.

“I don’t understand.”

Pidge sighed and shifted her hands so they laid against each of his shoulders. She made him pivot to face her directly and she willed her voice to stay even.

“Keith, the Galra we were fighting says she’s a double agent working for the rebellion, the same rebellion that has Matt. This isn’t Shiro. He’s an android the Galra made to spy on us. _It’s not him, Keith_.”

Keith looked at her with searching, but tired eyes.

“Pidge, that’s--”

“Crazy! I know! But you’re gonna have to trust me. Allura and Hunk are in trouble and we’ve got to help them, come on!”  

The sound of Allura and Hunk’s name seemed to snap him out of his reverie and his face hardened in the way it always did when he was determined to complete a mission. Pidge stood up as well and she watched Keith curl his hands into fists at his sides.

“Let’s go,” he said, nearly whispering. Pidge nodded and pulled up the map on her wrist holo-screen.

“It’s this way,” she said pointing down the hallway in the opposite direction that the Galra went down. She started down the path but stopped when Keith didn’t budge.

He stood staring down at the lifeless robot on the floor with an expression Pidge couldn’t place. His mouth was tensed in a tight line and his brow was furrowed, but his eyes looked glossy and wet.

“Keith,” she said, soft and gentle, “we have to go.”

Keith closed his eyes and took in a breath. He nodded. “Okay.”

Pidge pointed down the hallway again and they both broke into a sprint towards the data control center.

* * *

 

“Lance, make them dance.”

Hunk felt his eyes widen and nausea hit his stomach like a freight train at the order. Lotor had done the one thing that Hunk feared the most--he had commanded Lance to attack them. Lance pulled out his Bayard, readied it against himself, and aimed at Hunk’s feet. Hunk gasped and a ball of tension gripped his chest.

“Buddy, _don’t_!” Hunk yelled, desperate to reach him. This wasn’t real. This wasn’t happening. There was no way his best friend was about to hurt him.

Lance stood like a statue, his blaster still aimed at Hunk’s feet.

“ _Do it, Paladin_ ,” Lotor said to him, his smile faltering. Lance’s still form began to tremble, but he pressed the trigger and let out a blast that landed right in front of Hunk. Hunk let out a scream and jumped backward.

“Hunk! Take cover!” Allura said, pulling up her shield as Lance rained down blasts at their ankles. She jumped behind a nearby workstation and Hunk followed her. They crouched down to cover their bodies completely and Hunk looked to Allura, praying she had some idea of what to do. He sure didn’t.  

 _Lance is shooting at us! He’s being mind controlled and he’s shooting at us!_ He thought as a painful, fluttering feeling spread in his chest.

“What are we gonna _do_?” Hunk asked. Her eyes met his briefly before looking at the floor.

“If we take out Lotor, Lance should be freed,” she said, looking back up at him.

“But _how_? Lance’s got the advantage on us if he’s on higher ground and if we do somehow get a shot in at Lotor, who’s to say Lotor won’t make Lance throw himself in the line of the fire to protect himself?” Hunk asked. Allura made a frustrated noise.

“You’re right. It’s too risky,” she said before another one of Lance’s blasts swept right over the top of her helmet, “we _must_ hurry.”

“I know! I know! Okay, think Hunk, _think!_ ” Hunk said, snapping his eyes shut and trying to concentrate. There had to be _something_ they could do. He broke down in his mind the current situation and remembered something important: Lotor had ordered Lance to shoot at them, but he didn’t do it immediately. In fact, Lotor had to ask him a second time and even then, Hunk noticed Lance shaking, almost like he was resisting.

 _Maybe he_ is _resisting!_ Hunk thought, his eyebrows shooting up. He remembered what Allura had told him about Empress Jyadra’s experience with Lotor’s mind control magic--how she remembered the whole thing and how she tried to fight back against it.

“I’m going to talk to Lance,” Hunk told Allura and she looked at him like he had grown a second head. Hunk, not waiting for her approval, started to get up, but Allura held his arm down.

“Hunk! Stop! What are you thinking?!” she asked in a hushed whisper.

“You said before that Empress Jyadra was able to tell you what happened when she was being controlled because she remembered what happened to her. That means she was still in there--that _Lance_ is still in there!”

“But what will talking to him do?”

“Maybe I can get him to snap out of it.”

Allura’s eyes widened, but her face fell into a somber expression.

“Hunk, the Empress was almost made to kill herself and she still couldn’t resist the spell…”

Hunk took in a deep breath as he absorbed that information. There was a very good chance this plan of his was not going to work, but his best buddy was being enslaved by an evil alien dictator and well, he had to do _something_.

He gave Allura a small smile.

“Well, Empress Jyadra didn’t have her best friend cheering her on,” Hunk said sounding far braver than he felt because he _felt_ like he really, really wanted to throw up. Despite this, he raised his shield and stood out from behind the workstation.

“Yellow Paladin, so good to see you again,” Lotor said as easily as he would have if Hunk had arrived at his birthday party. Lance continued to send the occasional blast at Hunk’s feet, but his shield protected him well enough.

“LANCE! Listen, it’s me Hunk! Your best bud! You’ve gotta stop, man. I know you can,” Hunk said, praying his words were reaching him.

“Oh, I see. You think you can get your friend back if you merely speak to him. Why, by all means. Lance, cease fire,” Lotor said and Lance followed the order immediately. “Say what you will, Yellow Paladin.”

Hunk glared up at him as a rare anger boiled in his heart and pumped through his veins. How dare he use his best friend for this. Hunk decided to ignore Lotor and focus his attention on Lance instead.

“Buddy, please. You gotta fight it. I can tell you’re trying to, but--” Hunk started, but was cut off by a loud cry.

“AAAGH!”

Hunk turned around and saw that the biggest Galra had awoken. She clenched her fists and scowled at Allura with the meanest face Hunk had ever seen, then ran right towards her.

Allura quickly stood up and said to Hunk, “Keep going! I’ll handle her!”

She was off before Hunk could protest, but he listened to her just the same and turned to face up at Lance again.

“Come on, dude. You don’t have to listen to Lotor. Put your Bayard away, man.”

“Lance, do as I say,” Lotor said, turning to face Lance.

“No, Lance. Do the exact opposite of what this guy tells you!”

From behind Hunk, a horrible sound like a heavy object crashing into thick metal rang in his ears and he turned to find its source. To his horror, Allura had been thrown against a wall of the room and she was now trying to pick herself back up.

“Allura!” He cried, as Zethrid closed in on her.

 _I’ve got to finish this quick_ , he thought, looking back at Lance.

“Lance, bud, listen to me. _I’m_ your best friend and this dude’s the son of the guy who wiped out entire planets. Don’t listen to him!”

Lance hadn’t budged an inch. He stood silently with his blaster against his shoulder, ready to shoot at a moment’s notice. Hunk felt himself panicking as the sounds of Allura and Zethrid’s fight echoed behind him and Lance’s Bayard mocked him from above.

“Paladin, it hurts to disobey, doesn’t it? Just give in,” Lotor asked Lance and something ugly twisted in Hunk’s stomach. He was about to call him a “total creep” when Allura let out a pained cry. Hunk looked back at the corner of the room where their fight had taken them and saw Allura’s hands cuffed behind her as Zethrid’s claws held tightly to her upper arms. Allura fought against her captor, making it much more difficult for the Galra, but escape was beyond her reach.

Hunk’s heart, already pounding loudly in his chest, began to race faster causing his breath to become shallow and his chest to ache. He turned back to Lance and let down his shield. Lotor’s eyebrows raised and a small smirk returned to his lips.

“Lance, _please_! We need your help,” Hunk said, taking a step towards the second floor, his stance open and vulnerable. Hunk could see a tremble in Lance’s arms and a small flicker of hope eased the pain in his chest.

“I _think_ ,” Lotor said, his grin widening, “it’s time we move on, Yellow Paladin. Princess! I’m sure you remember how long ago Paladin turned on Paladin. Black defeating Red. My father defeating yours. Don’t you think it would be poetic, in a way, to watch your father’s Bayard destroy the Yellow Paladin?”

Hunk stopped breathing as he heard Allura gasp and fight viciously against Zethrid’s claws.

“Lance, shoot the Yellow Paladin in the chest.”

“ _NO!!”_ Allura screamed.

Hunk’s stomach dropped and he took a couple steps back. His mouth went dry as he looked up at Lance and his expressionless, magenta eyes. He hadn’t moved an inch. Hunk decided that meant something. He regained the two steps he had taken back and got closer to Lance.

“Lance, you _don’t_ have to do this. I know you’re in there. I know you’re fighting. Please, drop your Bayard,” Hunk said, soft and reassuring. Lance was there. He _knew_ he was there.

He took notice of Lotor, whose expression had gone sour. Hunk took that as a very good sign.

“Obey my commands, Lance _,_ ” Lotor said, venom in his voice.

“Lance, we _miss_ you. The past few days without you in the castle have been like, super boring and miserable and--”

“He doesn’t even care about the pain you’re in--”  

“We’ve all just been moping around hoping to find a lead--”

“Shoot him, Lance,” Lotor demanded again and Lance's entire frame trembled.

“Even Keith, dude! He misses you. We _all_ miss you--”

“I said--”

“Pidge pulled two all-nighters making enhancements to the Galra finder--”

“Shoot him!” Lotor said, his voice raising this time. Hunk saw Lance’s finger twitch at the trigger. Fear coursed through Hunk’s body, but he pressed on.

“And dude, _I_ miss you! I want my best friend back!” Hunk yelled, his voice cracking. His hands were shaking now too, but he stood his ground, his eyes unflinching from Lance’s. That’s when he saw it, a single tear, escaping Lance’s right eye.

 _He’s fighting!_ Hunk thought.

Then, from behind him, he heard the _whoosh_ of automatic doors opening, but he didn’t dare break away from Lance’s eyes.

“ _LANCE?!_ ”

“Hunk!”

Keith. Pidge. Hunk let out a shaky breath. That was good. Reinforcements were good.

Lotor didn’t share the sentiment, however, as his face transformed into a twisted snarl.

“Lance, shoot him _now!_ ” Lotor said, his voice more commanding than it had been before.

Hunk could see a change in Lance. He was shaking violently, a tear escaping his other eye, but his finger was putting pressure on the trigger.

“Lance, _no_ ” Hunk said in a whisper, knowing it wouldn’t reach him.

Lance pulled the trigger.

* * *

 

This was a joke. This had to be some sick joke. Or a really messed up nightmare or a delusion or _anything_ else because what just happened could not have been real.

Lance did not just shoot his best friend.

Hunk did not just fall to the ground and stop moving.

That didn’t happen. This wasn’t real.

But then, Allura made a sound so guttural, so full of despair, that Keith knew he couldn’t be dreaming. There was no way Keith’s subconscious could have fabricated a sound so full of pain.

 _Oh God, oh God, oh God,_ was the only thought in his mind and it played on repeat. He had always relied on his instincts, but now they were completely failing him because he couldn’t move, couldn’t process what had just happened. He knew he needed to do something, but couldn’t comprehend what.

It was Pidge who snapped him out of it. She ran ahead of Keith to Hunk and screamed his name countless times. Then, he saw Allura bursting free from the Galra’s grip on her out of sheer rage.

Allura looked at the Galra like she was the filthiest creature she’d ever seen and began attacking her relentlessly with her Bayard. The Galra adopted a defensive stance and her face turned from a nasty sneer to a look of terror.

Keith was about to lend Allura a hand when a voice he didn’t recognize yelled “Zethrid! Fall back! Grab Narti!”

The Galra jumped away from Allura and ran to the other end of the room to pick up a lifeless creature. Zethrid threw the other Galra over her shoulder and ran toward the second floor, making a huge leap that got her there in one go.

The alien Keith didn’t recognize stood next to Lance and once Zethrid met them, they all bounded off into the darkness. Lance was without handcuff and it was almost like he was running away with them of his own volition, but Keith knew that couldn’t be right. Lance’s eyes were purple and there was just no way Lance would ever do anything to hurt Hunk.

Then, realization hit him like a swift kick to the gut.

Hunk was _hurt_.

Keith wanted desperately to go after Lance. He was _so_ close, but they only had one Lion with them and they had to get to Hunk.

Allura and Keith ran together to where Pidge was huddling over Hunk’s unmoving body. Keith felt his chest turn into a swirling vortex of pain as he approached them. Pidge had tears in her eyes, but she looked up at Keith and Allura as soon as they reached her.

“He’s alive! He was shot in the shoulder. We need to get him to a healing pod quick, though,” she said and Keith let a small breath escape him.

 _He’s alive_ , Keith thought, relief washing through him.

“I’ll carry him,” Allura said firmly. She took a couple steps back from them all and began transforming herself to be slightly taller than Hunk. She walked over to Hunk and carefully scooped him in her elongated arms bridal style.

“Let’s get out of here,” Pidge said, already heading for the door.

“But wait, where’s Shiro?” Allura asked. Keith and Pidge looked at her in silence as a tearing sensation threatened to carve a hole in Keith’s chest.

“He’s not coming. Look, Allura, we have to leave right now. I’ll explain everything once we’re in the Blue Lion,” Pidge said and her face was full of pain and loss all over again. Allura’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open.

“Oh...oh, no. Is he…?” was all she could say.  

“Um, kind of, but it’s not what you think! Allura, _please_ , I’ll explain everything, but we need to get Hunk into a Cryopod, _now_ ,” Pidge said and Allura squeezed her eyes shut, willing her tears away. She took in a deep breath.

“Where to Pidge?” She asked, Pidge looked away from Allura and towards the door they entered.

“This way,” Pidge said, her voice hollow and strained. They followed her without another word and ran as fast as they could together towards the hangar they left Blue in.

As they ran down the hallways they had come down before, Keith noticed the distinct lack of resistance they faced just like they had when they first came in.

 _They let us in and now they’re letting us go_ , Keith thought and he felt his jaw tense. He lost count of how many times they had fallen for Lotor’s traps and tonight was no exception. Something hot like lava churned at the base of his stomach.

Images started flooding into Keith’s mind before he could stop them. He saw a flash of Shiro’s yellow eyes seeing right through him, he saw Shiro standing in shock with a sword through his chest, and he saw Lance with purple eyes shooting Hunk in cold blood in front of him. Tension crept into his chest, but he willed himself to think of anything else as they approached the smallest hangar on the ship.

Blue was waiting for them there and Keith let out a sigh of relief, eager to get Hunk to a Cryopod as soon as possible.

“You guys get in Blue! I’ve got to open the hangar doors,” Pidge said, running towards the control station nearby.

“I’ll be right behind you!” Allura said as Blue’s particle barrier deactivated. The Lion lowered its head for their entrance and they rushed aboard to her cockpit.

Gently, Allura lowered Hunk down to the floor of the cockpit behind her seat. Her eyes, full of sorrow, lingered on his face before she transformed back to her original size. She hurried to the back of the cockpit and opened a cupboard with medical supplies. She grabbed one small, white bottle and a white cloth. She turned to Keith and handed both items to him.

“The bottle contains a liquid pain reliever and the towel is for his perspiration. Make sure he drinks the whole bottle,” Allura said, her face even, almost cold. Keith nodded and she went to her seat, while Keith turned to Hunk. Keith kneeled down beside him and took off his helmet.

Fresh pain ripped through his chest as Keith got his first proper look at Hunk. He was sweating and shaking his head lightly from side-to-side. His hands twitched at his hips and quiet little moans escaped his mouth. The worst, however, was the wound. The Bayard’s blast had destroyed the armor around Hunk’s left shoulder and burned the skin it had exposed. Keith winced looking at it. Hunk’s usual, warm brown skin had been scorched and blistered into a distressing charcoal black color.

One of their own did this to him. _Lance_ did this to him.

A twitch formed in Keith’s right hand, but he shook it off. He took a deep breath and took the white bottle in his hand. It was shaped like a travel-size shampoo bottle, but the top was a twist off. He opened it and lifted Hunk’s head up so he could angle the medicine into his mouth. As the liquid ran down Hunk’s throat, he quickly began to calm and the tension released from his face. As Keith lowered Hunk’s head back to the ground, Blue moved and Pidge’s voice came over the comm.

“Hangar door will open in ten ticks!” she said.

“Coming for you now,” Allura said as the Blue Lion moved to the control station. The Lion’s head lowered and within moments, Pidge was on board.

Keith quietly dabbed Hunk’s peaceful face with the white towel as Pidge knelt down on Hunk’s other side, opposite of Keith.

“Hunk…” she said, her voice small. Keith knew he should have said something to reassure her, but he couldn’t find the words, couldn’t find the strength to lift his head to look at her. They all sat in silence as the Hangar doors opened and the Blue Lion flew into space.

“Pidge, Keith,” Allura started her voice careful, “What happened?”

Keith could feel Pidge’s eyes on him, but he kept his gaze on the towel on Hunk’s forehead. He had stopped cleaning Hunk’s face, but he didn’t attempt to speak. He wasn’t sure he could explain, or that he even understood, what happened. All he understood was that everything was all wrong and that the pain in his chest was getting worse and worse.

Finally, Pidge took a deep breath and stood up.

“We were tricked. Shiro, well _that_ Shiro, was a fake. He was an android made of the real Shiro’s memories to spy on us.”

A pause.

“How do you know this?” Allura asked with a weak voice.

“Apparently, one of Lotor’s generals is a double agent working for the rebellion that has my brother. She gave me this chip that will help us find him and she said it had other intel too,” Pidge finished.

“Then, Lotor’s been spying on us? Is that why he’s been one step ahead of us the entire time?” Allura asked and Keith’s eyes widened. He hadn’t considered any of that.

“I think so, yeah.”

“Then, for how long have we had this false Shiro? Have we ever met the real one? Or was it all a lie, right from the beginning?” Allura asked, her voice solemn.

Keith’s teeth ground together as he squeezed his fists hard beside him. Had he never really found Shiro? Had he been an android that day in the desert when Keith and Lance carried him to Keith’s shack?

Keith suddenly had a throbbing headache.

“I-I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s only been since Shiro disappeared in the Black Lion after we defeated Zarkon. The Galra said that the chip would explain everything.”

“How can we even trust her?”

“She-she took out the android, and whatever it was, she was right. It wasn’t human,” Pidge said.

The pain started near Keith’s brows and then wrapped around to pulsate in the back of his head.

“What about you? What...happened?” Pidge asked, hesitant. Allura paused again.

“We’ll have to do this later, we’re close to the castle. Keith,” she said and hearing his name, he was able to look up towards her chair, but her face was obscured, “you should start taking off his armor. We want to get him in the Cryopod as soon as possible.”

Keith, eager to do anything but talk was quick to follow her directions.

“Coran, Coran are you there?” Allura asked over the comms.

“Yes, Princess! Are you all safe?” said Coran’s jovial voice. Another strained silence fell upon them.

“Coran, I need you to prep a Cryopod immediately. Hunk’s been injured,” Allura said, her voice deceptively measured.

“Oh, no! Yes, right away, Princess. I’ll be waiting for you in the Blue Lion’s hangar,” Coran said, his voice now taking a somber tone.

They spent the rest of their flight in silence and Keith’s headache continued to spread and pound. He had taken off Hunk’s armor, leaving him only in his black jumpsuit. Keith discarded the pieces to one side of the Blue Lion’s cockpit and tried his best to stack them neatly, unsure of what else he could do. He needed a distraction, both for the pain in his head and the bleak reality of their situation.

There were a thousand black thoughts trying to invade his mind, but he kept them at bay. He couldn’t allow himself to consider the ramifications of everything or he was sure he would completely break. So, instead, he tried to stack Hunk’s armor neatly.

When they reached Blue’s hangar, he let out a sigh of relief. As soon as they landed, Allura was out of her seat and growing her body to make carrying Hunk easier. She picked him up with as much care as she could, minding his shoulder, and hurried out the cockpit.

Keith and Pidge were right behind her and Coran was waiting for them all with one of the castle’s levitating hospital beds. Allura ran to the table and slowly placed Hunk on it.

Coran asked no questions, but Keith could tell he noticed the decline in numbers.

They all rushed to the med bay together, mostly in silence except for Allura and Coran discussing the wound. When they reached the med bay, Allura and Pidge waited nearby while Keith helped Coran get Hunk into one of the Cryopod suits. Once Hunk was prepped they all headed for the Cryopod chamber, which was situated right next to the med bay.

They brought him to a Cryopod and Coran inputted the settings while Allura picked up Hunk again. The Cryopod opened and she put Hunk inside, dipping his feet in first, then straightening his torso. The Cryopod closed and for several drawn-out moments, Coran calibrated the settings on the Cryopod.

“Well? Will he be okay? How long will he have to be in there for?” Pidge asked, getting impatient. Coran gave the panel next to Hunk’s Cryopod one more look before turning to Pidge with a small smile.

“He’ll be good as new in eight vargas.”

They all sighed with relief, and Keith, realizing he was still wearing his helmet, promptly took it off.

“Oh, man,” Pidge said, relieved. She took off her helmet as well and wiped her brow with her wrist. Coran looked at Pidge and then to all of them. His eyes met the ground before looking back up at Allura.

“...and, Shiro?”

Keith tightened his grip on his helmet as he suddenly became aware of the pounding in his head again.

There was a brief pause before Pidge explained everything to Coran. Keith did his best to shut out her voice. He didn’t want to hear it again. He kept his focus on his helmet and tried to think of a plan--anything to keep his mind off how horribly few his present company felt.

He caught bits-and-pieces of their conversation and every time he did his head flared in pain.

“The Galra General said that this chip would explain more. We should analyze it immediately. She said that it would take me to Matt,” Pidge said, a small smile on her face, though it was considerably muted than it would have been had she obtained the chip in any other fashion. Painful tension stung at Keith’s chest again.

“It might have information on what Lotor’s planning too. I’ll come with you,” Allura said, her face determined. She started for the exit, but Pidge stopped her.

“Wait, Allura. What happened with...with Lance?” Pidge said, her voice cautious.

Allura stopped in her tracks, her shoulders hunching slightly.

“You saw what happened. Lotor was controlling Lance in the same way he controlled Empress Jyadra, then he made Lance fire at Hunk.”

Coran gasped, hearing this for the first time. Pidge’s eyes found the floor, but she looked back at Allura’s shoulders.

“Why wasn’t he finding cover? He was just out there in the open. He didn’t even have his shield up,” Pidge said and an ugly, thick feeling writhed in Keith’s stomach.

Allura took in a breath and turned to face them all again. Her eyes were worn and tired, but they looked at Pidge directly.

“Hunk was convinced that Lance’s consciousness was still present within his body. He believed he could exploit that and shake him from Lotor’s control. It...almost seemed to be working, but the spell was too strong and...well, you know what happened.”

The pain in Keith’s head and chest mixed with the thick rage bubbling in his stomach, making him want to burst out of his own skin. This information had hit Keith hard and all he could imagine was Lance desperately fighting against himself so he wouldn’t have to hurt his friend.

 _He must be suffering_ , Keith thought. Then, he looked to Hunk in the Cryopod. He had done nothing to deserve the pain and betrayal of being shot by his best friend when he had only believed in him. Keith’s heart ached for them both. Neither of them deserved this. It wasn’t fair.

He thought of Shiro. They spent months with this android and trusted him. They had stopped looking for the real Shiro all together and now? Now, the real Shiro was probably dead.

Keith’s hands trembled as he gripped his helmet hard. His jaw was tense and his eyebrows were knit so close together, he was making his headache worse.

 _I hate this, I hate this, I hate this,_ he thought on a loop.

“ _Why_ is Lotor even doing all this? What did he gain from all this?” Pidge asked.

“I...believe he is trying to break our spirits. He wanted me to watch as one Paladin killed another. He knew how much it would pain me to watch my father’s legacy get further sullied--to watch a friend kill a friend.”

The horrible, kinetic energy pulsing through Keith and trapping him in his own skin lurched violently. Lotor was torturing them. Lotor was torturing _all of them_.

They had been miserable ever since Lance was taken that day on Gesperion. Ever since Keith decided to let his comrade fight without any support. He looked down at the helmet in his hands and remembered picking up a discarded blue one on Gesperion.

 _This is my fault_ , he thought.

The realization hit him like a freight train and his body screamed against the dark energy pulsating through him, desperate to get out. His head was pounding so hard his vision was blurring and his chest was so tight, it felt like it would collapse. He was spiraling and it was all too, too, too much.

With a guttural cry, Keith took his helmet and slammed it to the ground with all the strength he could muster. It hit the ground with a loud, satisfying _CRACK_ and Keith had the strong desire to break more things. Anything to rid himself of the feeling taking over him.

The other three turned to him with wide eyes.

“Keith, what’s wrong--” Allura started, but immediately regretted the word choice. Keith picked up on it anyway.

“ _Everything!_ Everything’s wrong, Allura! Hunk could’ve died, Lance is being used as a weapon against us, and Shiro? Shiro’s been a fake for _months_. The real Shiro could be dead for all we know!” Keith yelled, the dam finally breaking.

“Keith…” Pidge said, but he ignored her.

“We only have four Paladins, _three_ right now and we can’t form Voltron! If anything else happens what are we even going to do? Lotor isn’t just a step ahead of us, he’s _five_ steps ahead of us. We keep falling for his traps, so who’s gonna get hurt the next time we go toe-to-toe with him? Huh? Who?” Keith continued, his voice strained and cracking. He wasn’t sure if what he was saying was making sense anymore, but he couldn’t stop.

“Keith, please--” Allura said, her face full of worry.

“ _He took Lance_. He took him right from under our noses and then he made him hurt _Hunk_. And you know what? It’s my fault! I made the call to let Lance be by himself,” Keith said, heart hammering in his chest. It was him. It was all him. He was the reason everyone was in so much pain now. He needed to take responsibility like Shiro would have. But...“Shiro would _never_ have done that, but Shiro’s gone. He’s _been_ gone.”

A new, dull ache formed in his chest as he thought of his friend and mentor. His _brother_.

“He’s the only family I have and he’s _gone,_ ” he said, the rage in his chest starting to subside into a profound sorrow.  

The others were staring at him with soft, sad eyes and Pidge was suddenly much closer to him than he remembered. He looked at her and was surprised to find tears streaming down her face.

A pang of guilt went through him, but it was washed away when Pidge wrapped her arms around his waist and choked out a sob against his chest. He looked down at her, stunned and with his arms half up, unsure of what to do with them.

“I’m sorry, Keith. I’m really sorry,” Pidge said, her voice cracking. It was so sincere and pained that the only thing Keith could do was wrap his arms around her tiny shoulders.

Guilt hit him again as he remembered that every single person in this room had lost _everyone_ and not just him. Yet, here they all were, listening to him and trying to comfort him.

Tears that had been held back for far too long finally spilled over Keith’s eyes and onto his cheeks.

His body shook as he hugged Pidge and a single, bright thought shone in his mind amongst all the darkness.

 _I still have some family left, don’t I?_ And he held the girl like a little sister to him tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. Sorry for that. Hope we're all doin' okay. 
> 
> And uh, I know that this is tagged Klance and I know Keith and Lance haven't interacted in like....30k words, BUT IT'S COMING. Just...take that slow burn tag seriously. Like, really seriously. 
> 
> Oh! So hey! Guess what? I'm a mod for [Lancito!Zine](https://lancitozine.tumblr.com/post/166192059920/what-is-it-lancito-is-a-fan-made-lance-centric) :D I'm workin with my good pal [Blue](http://bluethepaladin.tumblr.com/) to make a Lance zine where all proceeds go to hurricane relief for Puerto Rico and Cuba! And guess what? [Applications are open until Nov. 1st](https://lancitozine.tumblr.com/post/166528313491/applications-open-now)! So, if you're a writer or an artist or both, come give it a shot! So far, apps are looking really great and we'd love to see your submission. If you're not really a writer or artist, then we'd love it if you reblogged our posts or purchased the zine when it releases! Let's help get some funds to those good folks in Puerto Rico and Cuba!
> 
> So, I post updates on my progress on my [tumblr](http://thunder-dor.tumblr.com/). Come say hi!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please, let me know your thoughts! Comments are always really motivating and I really love them. 
> 
> And hey, I gotta a little teaser for you. 
> 
> Two Words: Garrison. Flashbacks.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt and Shiro consider their roles in the war, Keith deals with the losses of those closest to him, and Lance and Hunk remember better times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, I'm so sorry this took so long y'all! I'm working on three projects right now and I traveled a bunch the past month with holidays and what have you, but hey! Here's 13k words and my soul. 
> 
> Notes:  
> 1.) This story sets the Garrison in Sedona, Arizona. Google it and check out those rock formations lads.  
> 2.) Big shout out to [Emma](http://violaeadde.tumblr.com/) for being Best Beta™ and overall great person <3
> 
> Enjoy!

**Dark Blue**

_Chapter Seven  
_

In the dim, red glow of his empty Galra prison cell, Lance was crying. No, not crying--sobbing. He sat on the ground with his lower back pressed against a solid wall and his torso curled over his tucked in knees while his hands rested on top of them. His body shook with every choked, broken sob and his chest ached from the effort.

He did his best to keep his volume down, not wanting Lotor or his generals to catch him in such a state but he could only silence himself so much. Lance had always been a fairly quiet crier. He didn’t like crying in front of people but if he _had_ to then he wanted them to be pretty, contained tears that cascaded down his face like rainwater sliding down a glass window. All of his practice in dignified crying could only help him so much now, however.

By some small miracle, he wasn’t wailing like a newborn, but he was choking out sobs that constricted his chest with every huff. His usual concern over his blemish-free face was gone as it was covered in grime from his eyes and nose, and he had not a tissue in sight. He absently tried to wipe his face with the back of his hand, but he couldn’t bring himself to care much about it. He couldn’t bring himself to care much about anything.

Because he shot Hunk.

He shot _Hunk_.

He might have _killed_ Hunk.

Lance pulled his head away from his knees and looked at the palms of his hands. They were the hands that pulled the trigger on his _best friend_. They were hands covered in blood.

He brought his face to his palms and cried harder into them.

Lance knew he had been controlled by Lotor’s magic and he knew he had fought as hard as he could against it. In fact, he had fought so hard that as soon Lotor had released him his body crumpled with exhaustion and he woke up disoriented in his cell sometime later. Lance knew this, but it didn’t stop the cruel guilt that spoiled his stomach or the wracking sobs that clawed at his chest.

 _I should have tried harder_ , Lance thought, his body weak and trembling. A small voice in the back of his mind told him he “tried as hard as he could”, but he dismissed it. He didn’t deserve such understanding, such forgiveness, not even from himself. The guilt and worry was his penance to pay for doing the unspeakable to his very best friend.

Eventually, Lance’s body grew too tired to cry anymore and the cell grew quiet once more with only the occasional sniffle breaking up the silence.

The silence brought a sudden awareness to how alone he felt. He wished he could just hug someone and feel the warmth of another person, if only for a little bit. He thought of his mother and desperately wished he could go back in time. He wanted to be three-years-old again, back when he could easily be held on a hip and passed around by his father, mother, and oldest sister in a loving game of hot potato. He wished he could hold their necks in his tiny arms and feel their big hands support his back but he couldn’t.

His mind wandered back to Hunk, his best friend and constant support. Ever since they were fourteen, Hunk had been the one to offer bear hugs when Lance was feeling blue...

-

_Twenty-six._

_Lance was standing in front of the bulletin board outside of the second-year’s lounge, reading the results posted there._ The _results. The results Lance had waited for all day, no, all_ week _to see. The results that would decide the course of his life_ forever _._

_This was the list that gave third-year flight school students their upperclassman tracks: fighter class or cargo class. Of the three hundred or so third-years, only the top twenty-five pilots would be accepted into the fighter class program._

_And Lance? Lance was number twenty-six._

_Twenty-freakin’-six._

_Lance had lost his dream by_ one _and all he could do was read his name over and over next to that insufferable number._

 _For a minute, he couldn’t move. His body had gone rigid as his mind tried to process the information in front of him. He felt like his insides were being sucked into a black hole and it_ burned _. He swore his chest was going to collapse itself, but he couldn’t tear himself away from the bulletin board._

 _Without permission, his eyes flicked up to the top of the list and he realized very quickly that this was a mistake. He felt the blood drain from his face and his mouth go dry as he read the name of the number one spot:_ Keith Kogane _._

_Lance whipped his head to the side and gritted his teeth. Nothing like adding insult to injury._

_“They should be up by now!” said a voice from around the hall and it snapped Lance from his reverie. He felt an urgent desire to flee. He couldn’t deal with people seeing the results and pitying him._

_Lance dashed down the hallway in the opposite direction of the voices and made his way to the Barracks. He walked fast, desperate to get to his room and shut himself away for a little while and he prayed he wouldn’t bump into anyone on his way there. He wasn’t sure he could keep his composure if someone asked him “how are you?” He could try and lie, but a large lump was forming in his throat and he doubted he would fool anybody._

_By the luck of the stars, Lance made it to his room without bumping into anyone he knew. He took out his card key from his pocket and pressed it to card reader next to the door. It whirred open and Lance stepped into the unlit room and let out a long breath as the door shut behind him._

_As far as a dorm room got, Lance and Hunk’s was pretty ordinary. The west wall was hogged by their bunk bed and Lance’s dresser. The east wall was littered with band posters (Lance), a large periodic table (Hunk), and a glow-in-the-dark star map (a housewarming gift they bought together their first week as roomies). It’s also where their desks and Hunk’s dresser lived. The smaller north wall was where they housed their most prized possession: the mini fridge._

_Lance stood frozen near the room’s entrance, some part of him so tired and let down he didn’t want to do_ anything _. Lance let his eyes close for a second for just a beat of rest, but then turned to his dresser and started stripping off his uniform. He couldn’t stand to wear it any longer, not when it represented absolutely everything that was tearing him up from the inside. The Garrison uniform was a symbol of potential. Skill. Space Exploration._

_Lance threw his tunic into his hamper with more force than was necessary and felt the blood boil in his arm. Bitter, bitter thoughts snaked into his mind and he didn’t bother to stifle them._

Potential? Guess that capped out. Skill? Not enough. Space Exploration? Can kiss that dream goodbye, Lancey-Lance. You’re a cargo pilot, now. Earthbound, _he thought, the bad thoughts bubbling into his head one right after the other._

_He finally got into a pair of sweats and an old, holey t-shirt, then slumped into the bottom bunk. It was Hunk’s bed but Lance didn’t have the energy to climb up to his own. As he nestled himself in, Lance’s eyes locked onto the hand-cut letters tapped onto the wall above Hunk’s bed that lovingly read “Hunk’s Bunk”. Lance absently brushed his fingers over them, remembering when he and Hunk first cut the words out._

_Lance felt a sudden slice in his chest. Hunk had been accepted as an S-Class Engineer last week. He was going to be paired with S-Class Communication Officers and_ Fighter Class Pilots _._

_It had always been their plan, ever since they became best buds, that Hunk would get into S-Class and Lance would get into Fighter Class, and then they’d be paired together for team simulations. It was one of the reasons they studied so hard--they wanted to keep being in classes together._

_Hunk had helped Lance study too. He supported Lance and told him he could do it. He brought him coffee when they planned late night cram sessions and patiently explained the physics problems to him when he was having trouble. Hunk_ believed _in him._

He shouldn’t have _, Lance thought. He wondered how he would tell Hunk and what kind of face he would make when he did. He’d probably be really nice about it. Hunk was always really nice._

_His mind wandered to his family. They’d been sending him encouraging texts and said “I know you can do it!” over video chats for weeks. What would he say to them?_

“Hey! Thanks for always being so great and supportive all the time, but actually, you were wrong. I couldn’t do it,” _he thought, his chest stinging. He’d never say that to them. He’d put on a smile and tell them it was fine. It was the least he could do, for_ all _of them. They’d helped him out so much already, they didn’t need to deal with his whiny, woe-is-me shtick._

_At that, Lance’s eyes began to water._

No, no, no. It’s fine. I’m fine. Stop, _he told himself. If he started crying now, he wouldn’t stop and he had no idea when Hunk would be back. Lance hated crying in front of people, least of all people he cared about._

_His ability to keep the tears at bay didn’t really help the slicing pains in his chest, however, and he tried rubbing it to ease some the tension there but his muscles just didn’t want to relax._

You’re fine. You don’t need to make this a big deal. It’s okay, you’ll be over it in a couple days. Plus, this means you’ll get to see a lot less of Keith, so _Hallelujah_ , right? _He asked himself but bringing up Keith was a bad move as it only served to send another blow to his chest. As much as he disliked Keith’s knack for outdoing him in_ literally everything _except arms training, he’d miss their rivalry. Seeing Keith always pumped Lance up and made him try harder since he was determined to surpass him one day._

Guess that’s another dream I can toss out the--no, stop! _He told himself. Every time he tried to think positively, his brain was determined to derail him. Yes, this sucked but it was_ fine _._

_As Lance wrestled with his own mind, the door whirred open. Lance began to sit up as Hunk came into the room with his eyebrows raised in surprise and blue Tupperware in his hands._

_“Lance? What are you doing?” he asked, the door shutting behind him. Lance scratched the back of his head and did his best to put on a smile._

_“Sorry, bud. I was just really tired and I was too lazy to go up to my own bunk,” he said, sitting up and swinging his feet off the bed. Hunk stared at him a moment and Lance noticed something sympathetic in his expression._

_“Are you okay? You’re really pale.”_

_“I’m never pale,” Lance said with a wink. Hunk rolled his eyes._

_“You know what I mean.”_

_“I’m fine. I’m just...tired, I told you.”_

_Hunk considered him a moment and then looked at his Tupperware, which looked small in his large hands. He walked over and sat next to Lance on the bed, then handed him the container._

_“I made you garlic knots,” he said, his voice careful. Lance took the Tupperware and opened it. Inside were four beautiful garlic knots that looked and smelled better than the ones back home._

_“Wow, thanks, man! What’s the occasion?” He asked, but immediately regretted. Lance knew the occasion._

_Hunk looked at the ground with his eyes soft and sad, then looked at Lance._

_“I saw the results,” he said quietly._

_Lance felt the blood drain from his face at the words._ Of course _, Hunk had seen them. He’d been just as anxious to see them as Lance._

_Lance sighed and placed the garlic knots on Hunk’s pillow._

_“It’s okay, Hunk. It sucks, I was really hoping I’d get in, but it’s not a big deal,” Lance said with a smile and hoped it was convincing. Hunk looked at the ground again._

_“It’s not though…”_

_“What?”_

_“It’s not_ okay _, Lance. It’s like, really far from okay. It kinda meant everything to you…” Hunk said, looking up at him._

 _“Well, I mean,_ yeah _, but my dad always used to say you can’t always get what you want--”_

 _“Lance,_ stop. _You don’t have to do this. You know you’re allowed to be sad about this, right?” Hunk asked, placing a hand on Lance’s shoulder._

_Then, something broke in him. The tears he had been able to keep at bay earlier spilled out of him with ease, despite his face scrunching to keep them in. He brought the length of his index finger and his thumb over his brow to hide his eyes, but he knew Hunk had seen the shameful tears._

_“Aw, Lance…” Hunk said, scooting closer and rubbing circles into Lance’s back._

_“I just..._ twenty-six _, Hunk._ Twenty-six. _”_

_“I know. I know, Lance. It really sucks.”_

_“I-I wanted to see like...Mars and Neptune one day. Now I...I won’t be able to. I’m never going to…” Lance through the lump in his throat. Hunk pulled him into a crushing hug._

_“Hey man, I know it doesn’t look good right now, but I don’t believe that. You’re gonna get to space one day, dude,” Hunk said and Lance gave out a wet chuckle into Hunk’s shoulder._

_“That’s like, the most optimistic thing I’ve ever heard you say,” Lance said, sniffing._

_“Yeah, well, you’re my best bud and I’m optimistic about my best buds,” Hunk said and it brought a smile to Lance’s face. A real one._

_Lance pulled out of the hug and wiped his eyes._

_“You know, I actually feel worse for you.”_

_“What? Why?”_

_“Since I’m not in fighter class, you’re going to have to get a different pilot. What if you get_ Keith _,” Lance said, hissing the name and Hunk laughed._

_“Man, you’re so obsessed with him.”_

_“I’m not obsessed! He’s just super annoying and always showing off, y’know?”_

_“Whatever you say, man.”_

_“Hey, if you get Keith as your pilot, promise me you’ll sabotage him any chance you get?” Lance asked, his voice nearly even now._

_“Dude, no. I will, however, fart while he’s in the simulator with me,” Hunk said crossing his arms and grinning. Lance doubled over in laughter._

_“I said I wanted to sabotage the guy, Hunk. Not kill him,” and at this, they both succumbed to a fit of giggles that left them gasping for air._

_Once they were able to breathe again, they grabbed a couple of Hunk’s garlic knots and Lance, so moved by their sheer culinary excellence, almost cried all over again._

-

Lance’s lips turned into a tight-lipped smile at the memory through the tear tracks that were drying on his cheeks. It wasn’t like Hunk took away all of his sadness over the cargo pilot mess, there was no way he could do that, but he was like the human form of a painkiller. It still hurt but Hunk made it bearable. He would always be thankful to Hunk for that.

Lance replayed the memory of Hunk falling after Lance’s blast hit him square in the shoulder and a shiver went up his spine.

 _If Hunk were here, what would he tell you?_ Lance asked himself. Would Hunk be angry? He had every right to be but Lance felt it would be pretty out of character. Would he be dejected and refuse to speak with him? That didn’t sound right either.

Then, he imagined Hunk telling him _“Dude, you were being mind-swished. When I was mind-swished, I threw you against a_ wall.”

Yeah, that seemed more like Hunk.

Lance took a long, deep breath and wiped as much grime from his face as he could.

 _Hunk wouldn’t blame you for something you did when you were under someone else’s control_ , he thought, his eyes closing at his deliberate attempts to calm himself, _I fought against it. Lotor told me to shoot him in the chest but I_ didn’t.

This thought got Lance up unto his feet and something like hope sprung into his chest. He hadn’t properly analyzed the weight of what that meant, being far too busy lamenting his friend’s injury by his own hand, but it meant something.

 _I_ defied _him,_ Lance thought and the corner of his mouth twitched upward, _I defied him_ loads _of times_.

He was remembering clearly now. How many times did Lotor have to repeat his orders to get Lance to shoot? At least a couple times. He had never done that before. Whenever Lotor commanded him to do anything, Lance _always_ obeyed. Sometimes, when he’d been far from Lotor, he was able to slow himself, but he still followed through.

Lance thought of Lotor’s smug, ugly face and gritted his teeth. Hate like fire engulfed him as he thought of all Lotor had done to him, done to his team. His _family_. Lance was never one to hate. Even when he said he “hated” Keith, he was just being hyperbolic. He just severely _disliked_ Keith. And his dumb hair.

But Lance _hated_ Lotor. Full stop. No hyperbole here.

And Lance was going to make him _pay_.

* * *

 “This is me!” Matt said, as the doors to his Phenlen apartment slid open with a _whoosh_. He stepped forward into the spacious living room and presented it with an outstretched arm, almost as if to say “ _ta-da!”_

“Wow, how much does this set you back a month?” Shiro asked, stepping into the apartment with a grin. The room was well-lit with walls made of some muted silver material and minimalist furniture carefully placed throughout. There was something about the apartment that felt distinctly like an apartment you’d find on Earth and it made Shiro’s heart squeeze.

“Nothin’,” Matt said, hands on his hips. “Perks of being a Level Three Officer with the rebellion.”

“You trying to convince me to enlist?” Shiro asked, half-joking. Matt waved him off with a smile and sat on the black couch against the western wall.

“Maybe. You gotta admit, it’s a sweet deal. I’m pretty sure you would have given up your _right arm_ for an apartment like this a couple of years ago.”

Shiro narrowed his eyes as Matt’s mouth curled into a Cheshire Cat grin.

“You found out a hostile alien race amputated my arm and replaced it with their own alien tech about four days ago and you’re making _puns_?” Shiro asked, his voice low and commanding.

“I’m making _good_ puns,” and Matt added lidded, sly eyes to his smirk.

Shiro stared at him for him a moment before giving into the laughter he’d been holding in.

“ _Matt_!” Shiro said through his smile.

“What? Come on, be honest. You know you’d hate it if I didn’t make a bunch of arm puns when they’re _right there_ ,” Matt said and Shiro let out a small “heh”.

He crossed the room to a black armchair and sat down, leaning back against the cushions. “That’s true.”

“Sucks they took your right arm. If they took your left I could have told everyone that you were _all right_ ,” Matt said and Shiro groaned.

“The _worst_.”

The fell into a familiar, comfortable silence and Shiro’s mind wandered back to the conversation they had with the Director. He’d been thinking about it nonstop ever since they left her office and he kept thinking of what would happen after he found his team. Would he go back to being the Black Paladin? Someone else would have to give up their Lion to do that and would that really be best for the team? Without him, the team seemed to be doing well. Thriving even. They had obtained new powers since his absence, so maybe his place wasn’t with a Lion.

“I can _see_ you over thinking, Shiro,” Matt said and Shiro looked over at him. Shiro leaned forward and let his forearms rest on his thighs.

“Do you think I should take the Director’s offer?”

“Shiro, I was _joking_ \--”

“I know, but do you think I should take it? After we find Voltron?”

Matt stared at him for a long moment, his brows furrowed in thought and sighed.

“Shiro, I...I don’t _know_. I don’t know what _I_ want to do after we find Voltron, I mean…”

“What?”

“Just...I’ve been thinking about it too and I know I can’t be on the sidelines anymore. I can’t be the person that others have to protect again and I can’t just watch my kid sister fight aliens in a giant robot lion while I sit around. I’ve got to be out fighting too and that might mean I come back here.”

Shiro closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, then looked back at Matt.

“What about searching for your dad?” he asked and Matt threw his head back against the cushion with a groan.

“I don’t know, Shiro. Part of me wants to drop everything, take you and Katie, and just look all over space for him, then go _straight_ back to Earth. But we _can’t_. All of us have to fight because the entire universe is at stake. As much as it sucks to say it, dad might have to wait until the war is over.” At the sound of his own words, Matt let out a frustrated noise and dropped his head in his hands, tousling his hair.  

“Matt?” Shiro asked, concern thick in his voice. Hearing his name, Matt straightened and took in a breath.

“Sorry, I’m rambling. Look, Shiro, I guess what I’m trying to say is...I know I have a role to play in this war and my role might not be with Voltron, as much as I might want it to be. I need to go where I’ll be the most useful and knowing you, I think that’s what you need too. You could do a lot of good here. The Director wasn’t kidding, we have soldiers but not enough _leaders_ ,” Matt said, his eyes serious, but kind. Shiro looked down at his prosthetic hand and gripped it closed.

“So, you think I should.”

“No, no. I think...I think we need to get back to them and figure it out. Voltron is the best hope for the universe, so that has to be our priority, but if...if it looks like I can be of more help here then…” Matt trailed off and Shiro could see the internal battle raging inside of him. They both knew that saying goodbye to Pidge after just finding her would be the hardest thing he’d ever have to do.

“It’s okay, Matt. I understand,” Shiro said, honestly. Matt was right--they would go where they were needed, but it hurt like knives thinking his team didn’t need him anymore. He shook his head. No, that wasn’t the right way to think of it. Shiro had always known that something could happen to him that would tear him away from Voltron. That was the whole reason he was so set on Keith being his successor. It was only natural that they would adapt without him and do just as he asked.

He was proud of them. He was really, really proud of them, but it didn’t stop the twinge he felt at not being needed anymore.

 _You worry too much. They need you like you need them_ , he thought in an effort to be kind to himself.

“Listen, Shiro--” Matt started, but was cut off by a chiming noise coming from his belt. He pulled out a small, clam-shaped communicator and flicked it open.

“Matt, the Director requires that you and The Champion come to her office immediately. She has an assignment for you,” said a feminine voice through the device. Matt snapped his eyes to look at Shiro and Shiro nodded in response.

“We’ll be there soon!” Matt said and shut the communicator. They both bolted out of their seats and headed for the door.

-

The walk to the Director’s office was long and silent, but there was no need for words between them. Shiro was certain he and Matt were thinking the same thing--the Director was calling about Voltron’s whereabouts.

Shiro felt a rumbling nervousness bubble in his stomach as they approached the Director’s door. Despite his worries about his place on the team, he wanted nothing more than to see them all again. Memories of their faces flicked through his mind and he took a deep breath as Matt placed his ID on the panel by the door and got his eye scanned.

Shiro didn’t want to get his hopes up, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted to go home.

 _“_ Come in,” said the Director through the panel.

Shiro looked over at Matt as the door began its long process of unlocking itself. Matt was staring hard at the door with a focused look that caused his whole face to tense. Shiro placed his left arm on Matt’s shoulder and he relaxed into the touch before looking at Shiro with a small smile.

“I’m okay,” he said and the doors opened. Shiro gave Matt a small nod before they walked in with deliberate strides towards the wall of holo-screens where the director was waiting for them.

She kept her four hands folded in front of and her back straight as they approached, the air surrounding her as regal as ever.

“You wanted to see us?” Matt asked, hope rising in the question.

“Yes, please. Time is of the essence, so I will be brief. If all goes according to plan, we know where Voltron should be within the next Quintant.”

Beside him, Shiro heard Matt’s breath catch.

“Where?” Shiro asked. At the question, the Director summoned a holo-screen to face them and it displayed a green planet at the center of an asteroid belt.

“This is the Dalterion Belt. Prince Lotor and our informant are heading there as we speak, and Voltron--Voltron should be heading there soon once they decrypt the data chip Corina gave them.”

“Wait, Corina made contact with Voltron?” Matt asked, eyes wide.

“Who’s Corina?” Shiro asked.

“A mole of ours working closely with Prince Lotor. And, yes, Matt she made contact,” the Director paused and looked from the holo-screen to Matt, “she gave the chip to the Green Paladin. She is capable of decoding it, yes?”

“I built that tech and I’m not half the hacker Katie is. She’ll have it decrypted in no time,” Matt said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, “but what’s at the Dalterion Belt?”

The Director handed Matt a small data-chip with her top-right hand and Matt closed his fingers around it.

“This is the same correspondence Corina gave to your sister. It will explain everything, including Lotor’s plans. Watch it as you head to the Dalterion Belt and when you rendezvous with Voltron, do everything in your power to help them get the schematics. They must be kept from Lotor at all costs.”

“Schematics?” Shiro asked.

“The chip will explain, now go! I have a vessel ready for you at Hangar 7A.”

“Director, I--” Matt started.

“You can thank me later, now go--see your sister,” the Director said, giving Matt the smallest, warmest smile. Matt clutched the chip to his chest and nodded.

They didn’t need to be told again.

* * *

Hunk felt his knees before anything else. They buckled under him right at the moment the Cryopod released him and he felt himself fall forward.

“Oh!” said a voice, but Hunk’s brain was too fuzzy to figure out its owner and the same was true for the strong but slight arm that caught him by the chest. It held him up and another arm snaked around his back, providing a shoulder he could lean.

“Mmmmurgh,” Hunk groaned as his eyes blinked open. As they adjusted to the light, the voice spoke again.

“Hunk? How are you feeling?”

Allura. That’s who it was. He looked down, and sure enough, it was the Princess who was propping him up with ease and looking at him with large, concerned eyes.

“Augh, wobbly. My legs feel like jelly.”

“Yes, that’s perfectly normal. Do you think you can walk if I brace you? If you eat, you’ll feel better,” Allura said, and as if on cue, Hunk’s stomach grumbled.

“Aw man, yes! Food, please,” Hunk said and Allura gave him a warm smile.

-

Allura took him to his room first to change out of the Cryopod suit and then straight to the kitchens. They didn’t speak as a heavy air surrounded them and Hunk began remembering the circumstances that led him to be in a Cryopod in the first place.

 _Lance_ , he thought and his chest tensed violently. Hunk wished that it was all a terrible Cryopod nightmare but the memories were far too vivid, far too real, to have been a dream.

A deep, harrowing sadness filled him as the image of Lance turning his weapon on him flashed in his mind. He saw the way Lance’s hands shook and how tears fell down his cheeks as he was forced to do the unthinkable. Hunk’s chest tightened again.

The castle was quiet. It had been like that, ever since Lance was taken, but there was a stillness accompanying the silence that made Hunk think it was bedtime for the castle.

By the time they reached the kitchens, Hunk was able to walk without Allura propping him up, but that didn’t stop him from sitting down as quickly as he could at their dining table.

Allura went to the kitchen and brought him back a bowl of food goo which already had his mouth watering. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been in the Cryopod but it was long enough to get his appetite up.

As Hunk dug in, Allura sat in the seat that faced and took in a deep breath.

“Hunk, there is much to discuss,” she said, interlacing her fingers together on top of the table. Hunk looked up from his food goo and put down his spoon.

“Yeah, I guess there is. How long was I out for?”

“Eight Vargas.”

“Not too bad. Is everyone asleep?” Hunk asked.

“Coran and Keith are. Pidge is working to decrypt a chip which should give us intel on Prince Lotor, but I’ll explain that in a moment,” she said and Hunk didn’t miss the way she wouldn’t look at him or the fact that she hadn’t mentioned a word about their leader.

“Allura, did something happen to Shiro?” Hunk asked and Allura took in a sharp breath.

“I’m afraid so, Hunk. It seems that the Shiro we’ve been housing since he returned from disappearing in the Black Lion was not... _actually_ Shiro.”

A beat.

“Wait, _what_?!”

“I know this must come to you as a shock--”

“Yeah, Allura, I’m pretty shocked! What do you mean he wasn’t actually Shiro? Who was he?” Hunk asked, a lump already forming in his throat.

“He was an android made by Prince Lotor to spy on us. That’s how he always seemed to be one step ahead. He knew what we were going to do next,” Allura said and Hunk buried his head in his hands. It was too much.

“That... _sucks_ ,” he said. “How did you even find out?”

“One of Lotor’s generals seems to be a spy working for the rebellion. She proved to Pidge he was not the real Shiro and then destroyed him.”

At the word “destroyed”, Hunk let out a small whimper.

“Oh, Hunk. I’m so sorry. I know it seems hopeless but that wasn’t our Shiro. He was a machine. A fake,” Allura said, her tone somber.

“Doesn’t make it feel less like a death,” Hunk said and there was a darkness in his tone he didn’t even recognize himself.

“I know,” was all Allura offered.   

A long, strained silence passed between them and Hunk took a few more spoonfuls of food goo, but it was tasteless on his tongue.

He sighed, “sorry for snapping at you. I’m just…I can’t believe this is happening.”

“We’re all on edge, Hunk. It’s okay.”

“Still…sorry.”

“You’re forgiven, of course,” Allura said with a small, encouraging smile, which Hunk returned.

“Thanks. So…” Hunk trailed off, his smile dissolving, “What happened after…after, you know, _Lance…”_

He couldn’t finish the sentence, but thankfully, Allura seemed to understand what he was asking.

“After you were...hit, Lotor took Lance and his Generals, then retreated. Hunk, I’m...I’m so sorry. I’m afraid we won’t be able to break Lotor’s hold on Lance with our words alone,” she said and her face, usually so measured, faltered which had Hunk worrying she was going to cry.

“But you saw, didn’t you? Lance was fighting Lotor’s orders. I saw it, Allura. He was shaking and he...he was crying. He didn’t want to hurt us,” Hunk pleaded, blinking back wetness in his eyes.

“I know, Hunk. Lotor ordered you to be shot in the chest, but he shot you in the shoulder. Pidge told me it was highly unlikely for Lance to have missed the shot considering the distance and his proficiency. It would have been easy for him to make the shot.”

At that, the water welling at the edges of Hunk’s eyes spilled over and left droplets like a heavy, slow rain on the table. He heard Allura’s chair skid against the floor and suddenly, she was sitting next to him with a hand on his forearm. The touch grounded him and Hunk was grateful for it as he wiped away tears with his free hand.

“The last thing he’d ever want to do is hurt us,” he said, between sniffles.

Allura’s grip on his arm tightened, “Of course, Hunk. We know that.”

“I miss him,” Hunk said and it lulled them into a heavy silence. After a few beats, Allura took back her hand and took in a breath.

“You two are very close. I noticed even when you first came to the castle. You seemed easier with each other than with the other Paladins,” She said and Hunk could tell she was trying to distract him, but he appreciated it.

“Yeah, well, I guess we’ve known each other longer than the others. I met Lance about four years ago now--our first night at the Garrison. Lance and Keith have kinda known each other that long too since they had most of their classes together, but I didn’t really know him. Pidge transferred in like a year before we met you and we only just met Shiro before the Blue Lion took us to Arus. I’m not sure how long Shiro and Keith have known each other, but yeah, I guess we would seem closer, being best friends and all.”

“Did you get along right away?” She asked, a smile on her lips as she propped her arm on the table and let her cheek rest against her fist. Hunk considered the question and let out a laugh.

“Yeah, right away, actually. Even though he nearly got us both expelled on our first night.”

Hunk shook his head and smiled at the memory…

-

_Holding a box filled with the few personal possessions he was allowed to bring to the Garrison, Hunk stood outside his new Garrison dorm with his stomach in knots._

_His moms had only left him ten minutes ago but he was already missing them and he expected his homesickness to only get worse as the night went on. He took in a deep breath as he stared at the high-tech sliding doors that led to his room and the roommate within._

Aw man, what if my roommate is a total jerk? What if he hates me? What if he steals all my granola bars when I’m not looking?! _Hunk thought, panicking. He could feels his hands twitching beneath the weight of the box and wished he could tangle his fingers together to relieve some of the tension._

Okay, Hunk. You got this. Just go in there, introduce yourself, and be cool. It’ll be fine.

_Then, with one final deep breath, Hunk maneuvered the ID card in between his hand and the box to brush against the door panel. The doors slid open and Hunk charged in, but his momentum and enthusiasm caused his feet to tangle beneath him and he tripped. He fell hard as the contents of his box scattered to the floor--his favorite cookbook, a picture of his family, granola bars, some comic books, and parts to a wheeled alarm clock he’d been working on._

_“Whoa, dude!” said an unfamiliar voice._

_Hunk, face down in the floor, groaned from pain and shame, knowing that the voice_ had _to belong to his roommate and that he had just made the worst first impression ever. He pressed his palms against the concrete floor and then pushed himself off of it to get up. From above, a boy with an impish grin and cobalt eyes watched him._

_“You okay? That was a nasty fall, man!” His roommate said, offering a hand to help Hunk up. Hunk blinked in surprise but took it nonetheless and got to his feet._

_“Uh, yeah, sorry! I can be really klutzy sometimes but not like all the time just, y’know, when I’m rushing somewhere. I was kinda nervous to come in and I think I thought that if I just rushed in it would help me feel less nervous but that kinda backfired, obviously, because now I’m like way more nervous because I just tripped and got my stuff all over the floor and did I say I’m sorry? Because I’m sorry--”_

_Hunk’s anxious rambling was cut off by a peal of laughter coming from his new roommate._

Great. Just Great, _Hunk thought._

_“Hey, Sorry! I’m Lance!” Lance said, putting his hand out for Hunk to shake._

_“I--uh, what?”_

_“Hey,_ Sorry _. I’m_ Lance. _Get it? ‘Cause you keep saying ‘you’re sorry’? Like it’s your name?”_

 _“Dude, did you just_ dad _joke me?”_

 _“Maybe a little. So, what’s your_ actual _name, Sorry?” Lance asked with a smile._

_“Oh! Uh, it’s Hunk,” he said, scratching the back of his head._

_“Your name is_ Hunk _?”_

_“Er, yeah?”_

_“Dude!”_

_“What?”_

_“That’s an_ awesome _name. Super macho, y’know? Oh, shoot, I should help you pick up your stuff, huh?” Lance asked as he immediately dipped to the floor to pick up the discarded books and gears that flew out of Hunk’s box._

 _“Oh, thanks, man,” Hunk said and some of the tension swirling in his stomach eased. His roommate was turning out_ not _to be a jerk which was, frankly, awesome._

_Hunk kneeled on the ground to grab the various articles that had fallen to the floor, looking for his family photo first as he was worried that the fall had cracked the glass. He found it underneath the bottom bunk unharmed and he smiled at his good luck._

_“_ Dude _, you have issue #47 of_ Jaguar _? I’ve been looking all over for this issue!” Lance said, already flipping through the colorful comic in his hands._

 _“You like_ Jaguar _?”_

 _“Uh,_ yeah _. He’s only like, the coolest superhero of all time. He has the best catchphrase ever,--’_ the hunter has become the hunted _’! So cool, man!” Lance said, getting particularly theatrical when saying the catchphrase._

_“You can borrow it, if you want.”_

_“Whoa, really?! Thanks!”_

_-_

_With_ Jaguar _being the perfect icebreaker, they talked for hours and the conversation flowed as easily as it would have if they’d known each other forever. Hunk was so wrapped up in their conversation that he forgot he was even homesick. Lance loved to talk and Hunk had learned a lot about him in the short amount of time they had known each other._

 _For instance, Hunk found out that Lance was originally from Cuba but his family moved to Florida when he was four and they visited every summer. He learned that Lance’s favorite planet was Neptune because he liked the color and that it was his dream to see it in person one day, which was why he was interested in the Pilot Track at the Garrison. Next to learning how to fly and exploring the universe, Lance was most excited about making friends and getting himself a girlfriend but he wouldn’t let it distract him from being the_ best _pilot in the school._

 _Hunk also quickly learned that Lance was a bit of a risk taker, something Hunk was decidedly_ not _._

_“Hunk! I’ve got a great idea.”_

_Hunk, halfway through with one of his granola bars, eyed Lance suspiciously as he was pretty sure his tone meant nothing but trouble._

_“Am I going to regret asking what it is?”_

_“Nope!”_

_“Okay, what is it?”_

_“We should go into town! I did some research and Sedona has an arcade that’s open until midnight and it has_ Centipede _, Hunk!_ Centipede _! Do you know how hard it is to find_ Centipede _nowadays?”_

_“Uh, hard?”_

_“_ Really _hard, Hunk!”_

_“Dude, I think you’re forgetting that it’s nine-thirty and curfew is at ten.”_

_“Oh, I didn’t forget,” Lance said with a sly grin._

_“So, wait, you want us to sneak out on our_ first night _at the Galaxy Garrison? Before we’ve even gone to orientation?”_

_“Aw, c’mon, buddy! It’ll be a great way for us to bond as roommates! Plus, I hear they sell nachos.”_

_“That’s very enticing, Lance but how are we even going to get back in? They said in the packet that there’s a faculty member patrolling the barracks at all times!”_

_“Yeah but you forget, Hunk! I grew up with five older siblings, and they all passed their stealth and evasion tactics down to me. I am a_ master _at sneaking out of places,” Lance said, crossing his arms as his lips tugged into a smug grin._

_“There’s a ten-foot gate around the entire campus!”_

_“Yeah but there’s a spot behind a hedge where the gate’s been cut. My big brother used to go here and he showed me before my family left. All the upperclassman use it!”_

_“I dunno, man. I just got here. If I get expelled on the first night, my moms are going to_ kill _me.”_

_“You won’t get expelled the first night,” Lance said with a dismissive wave, “we’re just a couple of dumb first-years. They’ll go easy on us if we get caught.”_

_“I’m not sure, Lance.”_

_“Aw, c’mon, Hunk! Please? Pleeease?” Lance whined, his bottom lip curled into a pout and his eyes big._

_This was all completely against Hunk’s better judgement. Hunk was a rule-follower and he liked it that way because following rules was usually the safest option in most situations. Breaking a rule, especially one as big as sneaking out at night, was something Hunk would never do._

_And yet...Hunk_ really _wanted he and Lance to be friends and Hunk worried that if he brushed Lance off, then that would never happen. Plus, Hunk had always been pretty weak against puppy-eyes. He was a people-pleaser through-and-through._

_He sighed._

_“Okay, but we can’t stay out too long. We have orientation tomorrow at seven am.”_

_Lance’s eyes widened as he took in the information and his smile bloomed into a huge grin that took up half his face._

_“Yes!” Lance said with a triumphant fist pump. “Okay, we should head out now then. It’ll be way easier to get to the broken part of the gate while we still have free time.”_

-

 _As it turned out, getting out of the Garrison_ was _easy and Lance was every bit as sneaky as he claimed. He hugged the walls, found impromptu hiding spots, and seemed to sense danger from a mile away, and all while coaching Hunk along the way._

_Though this helped ease some of the anxiety buzzing throughout his veins, Hunk felt seconds away from a panic attack but he pressed on, following Lance’s lead all the way until they found the slit in the Garrison’s chain linked fence behind some Yucca trees. Lance pulled hard at the fence to make a space wide enough for Hunk to crawl through and Hunk did the same for him on the other side._

_The city of Sedona was less than a half-mile walk away and the warm, Arizona night air finally had Hunk feeling more comfortable with the situation. There were a bunch of stars in the sky, there were crickets chirping, and there was an electric atmosphere that came with being young and reckless. It was..._ fun.

_The town itself was small and rather quiet with the exception of a few open bars and cars driving by but Hunk still felt like it was alive with nightlife._

_“Come on! The arcade is just down this block!” Lance said, bursting with excitement._

_Hunk followed him down the street into a worn down corner store with a lighted sign that said_ Maggy’s _in bold letters. Lance rushed into the shop with a smile and Hunk was hot on his heels._

_The arcade was a wash of neon colors illuminated by black light hanging from the ceiling which made the white walls and the tacky, vibrant carpet glow to a near-blinding degree. There were rows and rows of coin-operated games, all with scuff marks and chipped paint that gave the place a well-loved feeling._

_“This place is awesome!” Lance said, his eyes gleaming in the unnatural light. He moved over to the prize-wall counter to where an attendant was sitting behind. She was a pretty, busty woman with a mole above her lip and a dull expression that said she’d rather be anywhere else than where she was._

_“What can I do you for?” She asked before Lance flashed a debonair smile and slid her a five dollar bill._

_“Well, I’d like a five dollar bag of nickels but I’d settle for your number,” he said, raising his eyebrows twice at her and it took everything in Hunk not to groan as he rolled his eyes. The woman just blinked slowly at Lance, then grabbed a Zip-loc baggie of nickels and plopped them in front of him._

_“Isn’t it past your bedtime, kid?”_

_Lance, completely unfazed by the sleight, gave her a wink, grabbed the bag of nickels, and turned to Hunk._

_“Let’s go!”_

_Lance was adamant that they play_ Centipede _first and they found it in the very back of the arcade with the rest of the antique games that were only a nickel per play. Lance went to it like a child went to a Christmas tree on Christmas morning. He quickly opened the bag of nickels and pulled one out, then gave the bag to Hunk and placed the nickel in the game’s slot._

 _“I wanna see how far I can go on just one nickel. You wanna play_ Galaga _?” Lance asked, gesturing to the game next to_ Centipede _, “I played it a lot back home. I’m a total pro!”_

_Hunk shrugged, “sure, man.”_

_As Lance dived into his own game, his hands making quick, decisive movements, Hunk started playing_ Galaga _but it only took moments before the nickel was wasted. Hunk let out a small huff and grabbed another nickel to try again._

_He was dead within two minutes and his patience for the game was already spent. Hunk looked over to see if Lance was ready to move on to more modern games but he was completely engrossed in the machine in front of him. Lance’s eyes were alert and alive following the movements on the screen, his brows were furrowed, and the tip of his tongue was sticking out of one side of his shut lips. Hunk looked down at the screen and watched in wonderment as Lance’s little fighter pilot dismantled the snaking centipede cascading down the screen._

_Unlike Hunk’s erratic, button-mashing technique, Lance moved economically before lining up his shots and taking the bugs down with pin-point accuracy. Hunk was suddenly enraptured in the game and couldn’t take his eyes off of the screen because Lance was_ good _and definitely heading for a high score._

 _Hunk kept himself quiet as Lance continued to take out centipede_ _after centipede, not wanting to break his concentration. This proved difficult because Lance was absolutely_ killing it _and the centipedes were only coming down the screen faster._

_After a couple of minutes, a spider crashed into Lance’s fighter and Hunk couldn’t contain his gasp._

_“Aw,_ man _,” Lance said, throwing his head back._

_“You can do it, dude!” Hunk said, clenching his fists in front of him. Lance cracked his fingers in front of him, then threw Hunk a smile._

_“That was just life number_ one.”

_Lance wiggled his fingers and then placed them on to the controls to continue his onslaught on the massive space bugs._

_As Lance continued to play, Hunk had figured out the proper times to give encouragement and when to give out shocked gasps. Lance, who Hunk was quickly learning was a total ham, was fueled by having a captivated audience._

_Finally, Lance was taken out a second and third time, and his score was well over a hundred thousand, landing his initials on the “HIGH SCORE” screen. He scrolled in the letters LRM then turned to Hunk with a smug smile and his hands on his hips._

_“I know, I know. Hold your applause.”_

_“_ Dude _, that was_ awesome _! I thought you said you’d never played before?” Hunk asked._

 _“I hadn’t. It’s pretty much just an easier version of_ Galaga _and I rule at that game. Give me a couple days on this baby and my initials will be on the top of the high score screen no problem.”_

 _“Aw, man. Are you planning on sneaking out_ every _night?”_

 _“Well, not_ every _night.”_

_“Dude!”_

_“Come on! Let’s find a two-player game!” Lance said, already on the hunt for the next machine._

-

 _Playing against Lance was a fruitless endeavor for pretty much every game and was downright pointless when the game involved shooting of any kind. Hunk could at least keep up with him on racing games and they both were terrible at_ Dance Dance Revolution _. They finally found a game Hunk was a natural at in the antique games called_ Ms. Pac-Man _which Lance fervently hated because he was so bad at it._

_Then, before either of them were aware, it was midnight and the arcade was closing._

_“So much for not staying out too long,” Hunk said._

_“Aww, c’mon. Admit it! You had fun!”_

_“I’m holding out on judgement until we’re back in our dorm and_ not _expelled.”_

_“We won’t get expelled,” Lance said, rolling his eyes and handing Hunk the half-empty bag of nickels. “Here, keep it for next time.”_

_“Laaance, we shouldn’t make this a habit!” Hunk said but Lance was already waving him off and heading out the door._

-

_Getting back to the Barracks was way more nerve-wracking than getting out. The late hour seemed to awaken the animals as Hunk heard the occasional howl echoing off the surrounding rock formations._

_“They’re just coyotes, Hunk.”_

_“Coyotes are dangerous, man! You don’t know!”_

_“Hunk, I promise you we won’t be mauled by coyotes.”_

_Lance easily kept the promise because they found the break in the gate without being eaten alive and he was even gracious enough not to tell Hunk “I told you so.”_

_They maneuvered their way through the gate and back onto the campus staying silent as mice. They slinked pass the quad to the Barracks which was mercifully close and Hunk was starting to understand why so many students were able to sneak out._

_The worst part of sneaking back onto campus was entering the Barracks since they had to enter through solid sliding doors and there was no way to tell if someone was on the other side. Whether or not they got in undetected was all up to luck and Hunk_ hated _leaving anything up to luck, especially possible expulsion._

_Luck, however, was on their side and when the doors opened, the hallway that led to the male dorms was clear of any faculty. Lance and Hunk both let out sighs of relief, then carefully walked down the hall._

_The halls of the barracks were deafening in their silence. Everything was so still in the low-light that Hunk could hear his racing heart pounding in his ears._

Almost there, almost there, almost there, _he thought to the rhythm of his speeding heartbeat as his entire body buzzed with adrenaline. They turned a corner down the long hallway that led to their room at the very end of it and never had such a short distance felt so far to Hunk._

_They kept with a slow, steady pace down the hall, keeping their steps light to avoid skidding against it. Hunk was keeping his eyes on Lance’s feet in front of him to keep the same pattern but when they suddenly stopped moving, Hunk almost ran into him._

_“Wha-” Hunk started but was stopped by Lance shoving him down an adjacent hallway. Once they were both against the wall of the hallway, Lance looked over at Hunk and put his index finger over his own lips. Hunk tucked in his lips as his eyes widened in panic. Then, he heard the sound that must have pushed Lance into action--heavy, thumping footsteps that didn’t care one bit if they were heard. Panic, stronger than it had been all night, struck Hunk with such a violent force that he started shaking as the footsteps got louder and louder._

Oh no, oh no, oh no! We’re gonna get caught, we’re gonna get expelled, my moms are gonna kill me, I’ll never be an engineer, _Hunk thought, spiraling as the footsteps got ever closer._

_Then, the unthinkable happened. Hunk was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he forgot about the bag of nickels in his shaking hands and their trembling made him lose his grip. They fell to the concrete with a thunderous crash and Hunk felt his heart bottom out as Lance whipped his head to look at him, then at the nickels, then back up at him with a stunned expression._

_“Who’s there?! Come out,_ now _!” said an angry, booming voice and Hunk was going to be sick._

_Lance looked back at Hunk with urgency and mouthed the words “stay here” to him._

_And then he was gone._

_Hunk blinked at the sudden empty space in front of him in confusion._

_“Cadet! What are you doing out of bed?!”_

_Oh._

_“Uh, I’m sorry, sir. I was just really hungry and I was hoping to find some food around here.”_

_Oh,_ no _._

_“It’s half-past midnight, Cadet! Curfew is at twenty-two hundred hours!”_

_“I’m so sorry, uh, Mr. Iverson?”_

_“_ Commander _Iverson, Cadet.”_

_“Right! Commander Iverson! I’m sorry, I didn’t realize we couldn’t go to the commissary after curfew. I’m a first-year,” Lance said, lying through his teeth._

_Hunk felt horrible guilt well in him. Lance was taking the bullet for him after it was his fault they got caught. The worst part of this was that there was nothing he could do. If he went out and confessed his crimes in solidarity, Lance would probably get in even more trouble for lying. Hunk’s only real option was to do his best to be completely silent and honor the chance Lance had given him._

_“A first-year, huh? Well, It says right in the orientation packet that all students most stay in their rooms once curfew is in effect. Are you illiterate, Cadet?” Iverson asked and Hunk winced at his biting tone._

_“I-er, no, Commander, sir. I guess I just...missed that part,” Lance replied and Hunk could tell the insult had shaken him._

_“Well, ‘missing parts’ isn’t going to cut it. This is the Galaxy Garrison, Cadet. If you can’t even absorb material as simple as the Orientation Packet, you’re not going to go very far here.”_

_“I’m sorry, sir. I’ll be more careful.”_

_“What’s your name, Cadet?”_

_“Lance, sir. Lance McClain.”_

_“Well,_ McClain _. I’m going easy on you this once and give you detention all next week, even though I_ should _expel you.”_

_“Oh, thank you, sir. You won’t regret it--”_

_“_ Don’t _get too excited, Cadet. You’ve officially started off on my bad side and that’s the_ last _place you wanna be,” Iverson said, his voice cold._

_“Yes, sir.”_

_“Now, get to your room. And stay there.”_

_“Yes, sir.”_

_There was a shuffling of feet for several moments until the pair of footsteps grew distant and then Hunk heard the sound of an automatic door whirring open. The door closed and all that was left was Iverson’s heavy footsteps coming down the hall. Hunk pressed himself as close as he could to the wall and tried to make himself as small as possible. The footsteps got closer, Hunk stopped breathing, and prayed Iverson wouldn’t see him._

_The footsteps were so close Hunk knew he would pass the hallway any second and he stared at the intersection through his peripherals with his heart hammering in his chest._

_Then, the man came into Hunk’s view._

_And he was gone just as fast._

_He didn’t stop, he didn’t even hiccup. He just walked by and his footsteps got steadily quieter._

_Hunk let out the breath he had been holding for far too long and felt his hands continue to tremble. He took a couple of deep breaths to steady himself and then, once he was sure the sound of footsteps was gone, he carefully bent down to pick up the bag of nickels._

_He poked his head out from the hallway, looked down each side and was satisfied that Iverson was nowhere in sight. He tiptoed down the long hall to their room, which now felt like a minuscule distance after Lance had been caught. They had been_ so _close._

_Hunk reached their door without incident and with a final look around, Hunk brought his ID to the door’s panel. The door whirred open and Hunk rushed inside, not daring to even breathe until it shut again._

_As soon as it did, Hunk snapped his head to look at Lance who was lounging on Hunk’s bottom bunk._

_“_ Dude! _” Hunk said in a loud whisper._

_“See? Told you we wouldn’t get expelled!” Lance said with a smug grin._

_“You got_ detention _Lance! And now the Commander hates you!”_

 _“Eh, that guy was probably gonna hate me, anyway. I mean, did you hear him?_ ‘You’ve officially started off on my bad side’,” _Lance mocked. “What a jerk.”_

_“Lance...you didn’t have to do that,” Hunk said, guilt washing over him again._

_“Do what?”_

_“Take the punishment for me.”_

_“Well, I mean, I know you were pretty worried about getting caught and I_ was _the one who dragged you out in the first place so...”_

_“Yeah, but I was the one who dropped the nickels. We probably would have made it back if it wasn’t for me.”_

_Lance waved him off for the umpteenth time that night. “Don’t worry about it, man. I would have felt awful if I got you in trouble. You’re cool, dude! I didn’t want you hating me after like, one day.”_

_“But you’re okay with Commander Iverson hating you after one day?”_

_“Hey, I don’t gotta live with Iverson,” Lance said, giving Hunk another smile and Hunk couldn’t help but return it as an idea formed in his head._

_“Hey Lance, what’s your favorite food?” Hunk asked._

_“My favorite food? Why?”_

_“I’m a pretty good cook and I figure eating your favorite food would make detention suck a little less.”_

_“Oh, sweet,_ really _? You’ll make me something?!”_

_“Yeah, man. Just name it.”_

_Lance looked up and tapped an index finger against his chin in thought until it dawned on him._

_“Oh! Have you ever had a garlic knot before?”_

-

“The rest is history! Kinda hard not to be best friends with a guy who would fall on a sword for you after only knowing you for a couple of hours,” Hunk said with a smile and when he looked at Allura, he saw that she was smiling just as brightly.

“I suppose it is. That was a lovely story, Hunk. Thank you for telling me. You’re both very lucky to have each other.”

Hunk looked down at his food goo and a heavy weight settled into his stomach.

“Yeah, I...I don’t know how I would have done this whole Paladin thing without him. Well, without you guys too, but...it helps having your best friend with you.”

Hunk’s right hand was squeezing itself into a tight fist that left crescent-shaped marks in the palm of his hand and he could feel himself trembling. He wanted Lance back. Space had always been a dangerous place for all of them but man, this was different. This was emotional torture for all of them, but Lance was doing the heavy lifting again and the thought broke Hunk’s heart. Lance was a good person, a _really_ good person. He didn’t deserve this.

“Allura, we have to get him back,” Hunk said, his voice low. Allura placed her hand on Hunk’s forearm once again and gave it a small squeeze encouraging him to relieve the tension in his hand.  

“We will, Hunk. I promise.”

* * *

Keith couldn’t sleep.

Not that Keith slept well normally, but with everything that had happened only hours ago, it was impossible now. Allura had encouraged them all to get rest while she watched over Hunk and Pidge hacked her way into the data chip the Weblum Galra gave her. Reluctantly, Keith agreed he needed sleep but every time he closed his eyes all he saw was a sword going through Shiro’s chest or Hunk collapsing as a possessed Lance loomed over him.

Keith sat up from his bed and let his feet hit the floor while he scratched the back of his neck. His body pulsated from the fresh bruises he received fighting Shiro-- _no_ , not Shiro--the _android_ and his eyes were heavy with exhaustion but his mind refused to let him sleep anyway. He stood up, bones stiff and tired, and went to his bedroom window to stare at the infinite twinkling starscape.

Keith used to love looking at stars back down on Earth. On nights when he could only think of Shiro or his father or all the other family he had lost, Keith would calm himself down by climbing on top of the roof of his rickety shack and just look at the endless expanse of space. It was always a great view since there was so little light pollution in the Arizona desert, allowing millions of stars to be visible, even more on new moon nights, and it became a place of peace for him.

Crossing his arms, Keith let his eyes shift out of focus as his mind reeled.

Too much had happened. So much so that Keith couldn’t properly identify how he felt after his breakdown at the Cryopods. He felt guilt and pain and grief and fear all tumbling around inside him like a laundry machine on the highest setting.

His thoughts were just as turbulent as his mind flicked between Shiro and Lance, grief spiking in his chest whenever their faces alternated in his vision.

With a shiver, flashes of the android attacking him entered his mind and he felt himself stop breathing. Shiro had always been so gentle and kind to Keith--a source of true warmth in a world that had been cold to him. Seeing Shiro’s face look at him with an expression full of malice and murder was devastating, to say the least.

 _It wasn’t him. Shiro would never look at you like that_ , Keith thought in an attempt to comfort himself. He took a deep breath in and rubbed his thumb against his index finger to calm his nerves.

His eyes focused back out into the sea of stars.

 _He’s out there, somewhere_ , Keith thought and it was a thought he had far too often when it came to Shiro. The universe seemed determined to keep him far from Keith and he was tired of it.

He let his head rest against the wall as he wrapped his arms closer around his chest. The ache in his chest from missing Shiro, while still painful, was familiar to him now. What _wasn’t_ familiar was the fresh wound left by Lance’s absence.

While thinking of Shiro left a dull ache that pulsed steadily within him, thinking of Lance left sharp, slicing pains that intensified whenever Keith hadn’t completely distracted himself. Keith wasn’t sure what caused the difference in pain between Shiro and Lance but he wondered if it had anything to do with what Hunk told him when Lance was first abducted. They didn’t know where Shiro was but they knew he could take care of himself. He had survived in space by himself for a year and if there was ever anyone who could fend for themselves in a bad situation, it was Shiro. Lance, though...well, Lance wasn’t Shiro. No one was.

They also _knew_ what was happening to Lance and it was bad. Really, really bad. At least with Shiro, there was a chance that he was somewhere safe. No such hope existed for Lance.

 _Or maybe, it hurts different because you_ feel _different--,_ he thought but quickly shook his head.

 _No. Nope. I’m not dealing with that right now_ , he told himself, but his mind betrayed him as he saw visions of hundred-watt smiles, cerulean eyes, and kind words that came as infrequently as shooting stars but were all the more treasured because of it.

“Ugh!” Keith groaned, letting his hands fly in the air in an attempt to shake the unbidden thoughts from his mind.

 _Whatever! He’s my friend! I’m upset because we’re friends_ , he thought. There, that was good. He could at least admit that Lance was important to him, if nothing else.

Still, Keith remembered the words “we do make a good team” and a warm hand in his, and a deep, splitting pain ran across his chest.

Then, Keith felt vile bitterness creep into his throat like bile. _Why_ did the people he cared about have to keep disappearing? Was he bad luck? Or cursed? There had to be a reason why those around _him,_ specifically, were so prone to misfortune.

An angry itch started in his arms then fluttered into his chest and the sensation made him growl. He felt a desperation to rid his body of the feeling and his eyes found the door. He needed to leave. Now.

He darted for the door, not bothering to put on his jacket, and rushed into the outside hallway. His fingers twitched in warning telling him to _move_ , to get his mind off of everything before the pain slashed him to ribbons.

His feet moved quickly and on their own as he tried to contain the horrible tingling in his veins that made him want to tear at his skin. He paid no attention to where he was going, opting to just focus all his energy on thinking of nothing but neutral, inky blackness.

His feet pounded against the Castle floor for a long time--just rushing off to some unknown destination while Keith was on auto-pilot, not taking in his surroundings or the various turns he made.  

So, when he found himself standing in front of the Red Lion, he was more than a little surprised.

When he saw where his feet had led him, he stopped cold in his tracks and stared up at the familiar, giant robot. His initial confusion soon faded into a sudden, pounding anger for the Red Lion.

The day Lance was captured, the Red Lion was there and she did _nothing_. She did nothing and yet she was able to come for Keith hundreds of miles into deep space. How was that fair?

“You could have saved him!” Keith yelled, but the Red Lion, sitting comfortably with her particle barrier up, made no acknowledgment of him. Keith growled and desperately wished he could kick one of her paws or _something_ because she had let Lotor take Lance without so much as a fight. Keith hated her for it. No, Keith hated himself for it. He let Lance be out there alone, no one else.

Keith shook his and let out a strangled sigh.

 _Spiraling isn’t going to help anyone. Patience yields focus_ , he thought, trying to calm himself for the umpteenth time that night. _Patience yields focus._

Keith looked down at his palms and searched for some meaning there.

“Why didn’t you save him?”

“Keith?”

Keith, startled out of his reverie, turned to the hangar door and found a concerned Coran approaching him. Almost immediately, Keith’s anger dwindled and he was left with just the sad, hollow grief he’d lived in for the past week.

“Coran…”

“What are you doing up? You must be exhausted,” Coran said, his voice lacking its usual exuberance.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Keith said, his gaze falling on the floor in front of him. Coran stepped to his side and looked up at the Red Lion with his hands resting behind his back.

“Yes, I imagine sleep would be difficult after everything that’s happened,” Coran said and they fell into silence for several moments before Keith’s curiosity got the better of him.

“Hey, Coran?”

“Hm?”

“Why are you here?” Keith asked.

“Ah, well, you see, King Alfor was the Red Paladin and I sometimes like to come here when I...miss him. I was having trouble sleeping myself…” Coran said, almost embarrassed which Keith found disorienting.

“Oh, yeah that, uh, makes sense,” Keith said, feeling ashamed for asking. He felt as if he had breached something very private.

“You know, you remind me a great deal of him.”

Keith couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows at him. “What? I do?”

“Yes! Not very surprising, considering you were both Red Paladins. King Alfor was protective, brave, and impulsive to a fault, much like you are. I can see why the Red Lion chose you. In fact, you all remind me of the former Paladins,” Coran let out a small laugh, “it’s almost like it was 10,000 years ago sometimes.”

There was a sad sort of glimmer in Coran’s eyes that sent another dull ache through Keith as he remembered Coran had lost every single important person to him with the exception of Allura. Keith took for granted that Coran was probably just as hurt as he was at losing Shiro and Lance. There were six people in Coran’s life now, and that number had just been reduced to four.

“Coran, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, my boy!”

“When we were on Gesperion and Lance was being taken, the Red Lion was _right_ there but she didn’t help him. Red helped me from way further when Allura and I were stranded in space. Why didn’t...why didn’t she help him?”

Keith looked up to meet Coran’s eyes and saw that his eyebrows were raised in surprise at the question but then furrowed as he looked down at the ground.

“Well, Keith, from what I’ve seen, the connection you had with Red was _exceptional_. Not even King Alfor could summon the Red Lion from such a distance. I think Lance just isn’t as connected to the Red Lion as you were.”

“But _why_? Red _chose_ him, just like she chose me.”

“Well, yes, but she was never _supposed_ to. Lance’s Quintessence, while compatible with the Red Lion’s, is much better suited for the Blue Lion. It took 10,000 years for the Lions to stumble upon Paladins that matched their Quintessence and it was no accident that the Blue Lion brought you five to Arus. You were chosen because of your Quintessence and now, because of what happened, the Lions are having to adapt and well, it’s not ideal.”

“Oh,” was all Keith could say. So that was it? Red couldn’t save Lance because he wasn’t a perfect match for her. Keith closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, frustration and grief filling him again.

“Keith--” Coran began but was cut off by the loud blaring of the castle alarm.

“Guys! I was able to hack the data in the chip! You need to see this _now_. I’m at the bridge!” said Pidge’s voice over the castle intercom. Coran and Keith exchanged a quick look before both dashing to the Bridge.

-

Coran and Keith were the last ones at the Bridge and when they saw a healthy looking Hunk being hugged by Pidge, neither could contain their smiles.

“Hunk, my boy! How are you feeling?” Coran asked, placing a hand on Hunk’s shoulder.

“Well, y’know, little hungry but what else is new?” he asked with a small shrug and a smile.

“Glad you’re okay, Hunk,” Keith said, feeling lighter than he had all week.

“Thanks, man and thanks for getting me out of there, guys. You really had my back. I couldn’t have been easy to get out of there.”

“Naw, don’t sweat it. Allura is like, _crazy_ strong. I’m pretty sure carrying you out of there was like holding a couple of grapes to her,” Pidge said, sufficiently embarrassing both Allura and Hunk.

“Ahem. _Thank you_ , Pidge. I believe you had an important announcement to tell everyone?” Allura asked, changing the subject. Pidge didn’t seem to mind because her eyes flashed and she turned to her station with ferocious speed.

“I haven’t watched it yet, I wanted to wait for everyone but the data seems to be a transmission, a couple of files, and coordinates,” Pidge said, typing away.

“Wait, so what’s the deal with this chip again?” Hunk asked.

“The Weblum Galra is a mole working with the rebellion and she gave us intel on my brother and Lotor,” Pidge said as the large monitor in the front of the Bridge flicked on showing a still of the Weblum Galra.

“You know, I’m having a hard time believing I was only out for eight Vargas,” Hunk said, looking up at the screen. Pidge ignored the comment and pressed a button in front of her that started the recording.

“Hello, Paladins of Voltron,” the Weblum Galra started, her air urgent and cutting, “You may have heard Prince Lotor refer to me as Acxa, but to the Rebellion, I am known as Corina. I must be brief. With every tick, I risk exposing myself and my mission is far from over.

“Firstly, it is important that you understand that the one you call ‘Shiro’ is a fake. Lotor had an android of him constructed after he was found unconscious on a Galra-occupied planet called Thepsod. His memories were then extracted to build the android and he was then taken to a Galran prison called Op Zen. He was recently liberated by Matt Holt, brother of the Green Paladin, and is on the rebellion’s base planet, Phenlen. Matt Holt and Shiro are together and safe. As proof...”

Keith found his breath catching as a picture of Matt and Shiro, wearing his Paladin armor, walking down a street of an urban-looking planet appeared on the screen. It was a paparazzi-esque shot as neither of them seemed to be aware they were being photographed, but they were both smiling and alive, and that was enough for Keith. It must have been enough for Pidge too because she let out a small gasp that sounded like she was moments from crying. Hunk placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.

The screen shifted back to Acxa’s face as she continued her monologue, her expression even.

“I know you must be impatient to get back to your comrades but there is something you must do first before you go to Phenlen. As you know, Prince Lotor has captured your Red Paladin and is using the power of his Quintessence and Narti’s mind control powers to manipulate him into a personal puppet. The choice of using a Paladin of Voltron was no coincidence.

“Before King Alfor was struck down by Zarkon, he had the Blue, Green, and Yellow Paladins hide a third of the schematics to Voltron on their home planets. Each schematic includes pieces of King Alfor’s research and designs for the Voltron Lions. The schematics can only be retrieved by a Paladin of Voltron and their Bayard, with the exception of the Black Paladin. Lotor is using your Red Paladin and his Bayard to retrieve these schematics to create a super weapon that not even Voltron could defeat. He has already acquired the Schematics from the Yellow Paladin’s home planet, Rygnirath. Lotor will attempt to retrieve the second schematic from the shrine on the Dalterion Belt.

“You must leave for there _immediately_. We can not allow Lotor to get his hands on any more information. One is already too much. I have attached the coordinates for you, so please hurry.

“And as for your Red Paladin, if you can, get him far away from Lotor. The connection weakens with distance and if the victim’s will is strong. The Red Paladin has proven to have a much stronger will than Lotor anticipated, so you shouldn’t have a hard time breaking him free from the spell if you’re able to separate him from Lotor.

“Now, I must go. I have already spoken for too long. The Rebellion believes in Voltron. Do not let us down.”

The recording switched into an abrupt blackness and the team all stared at the screen with wide eyes and dangling jaws.

“Whoa...whoa…” Hunk said, placing a palm on his forehead, “that was a lot.”

“Lotor’s after the schematics! Of course, I should have seen it sooner,” Coran said.

“M-Matt...he’s really alive,” Pidge said, emotion thick in her voice.

As Keith listened to them, a huge smile plastered itself on his face. “Pidge, put in those coordinates for the Dalterion Belt. We’re leaving now.”

The rest of the team looked at him with raised brows.

“Dude, why do you look like Christmas came early?” Hunk asked and Keith could only smile wider.

“Because we’re finally one step ahead of Lotor,” Keith started, looking at the blank screen where Acxa once was, “and we’re gonna take him down.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D
> 
> This will be the last chapter of the year but I'll have another chapter up in January!
> 
> Come say hi at my [tumblr](http://thunder-dor.tumblr.com/)!!
> 
> As always, thank you so much for the comments and kudos! They really keep me going! 
> 
> Special thanks to [Mikipin](http://frosty-haddock.tumblr.com/) for the arcade suggestion and to the [Lancito!](http://lancitozine.tumblr.com/) team for their support. Y'all are great <3


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dalterion Belt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Sorry for such the long wait on this one. I got some significant writer's block on it but I'm excited with how it came out! 
> 
> Notes:  
> 1.) This baby is clocking in at 8k words!  
> 2.) Thanks as always for being such a great beta, [Emma](http://riptidelance.tumblr.com/)!! ily <3 (she has a Voltron blog now so you should follow her!!!)  
> 3.) Whoa! Hey! This fic reached over 11k hits recently and um whoa?? Thank you all so much! I was seriously so moved to see that number :')  
> 4.) So this chapter is pretty angst-y and I made a more detailed content warning for it below with ways to skip. That being said, everything is canon-typical though, so nothing's very graphic or intense, I believe. Still, that's for you to decide. 
> 
> Content warnings for torture and pinning someone down--> skip guide w/spoilers [here](http://thunder-dor.tumblr.com/post/170168256646/content-warning-skip-guide-for-dark-blue-ch-8). 
> 
> If you ever see something you think I should tag/provide a warning for, please let me know and I will accommodate asap! I want all readers to have a safe, enjoyable reading experience. 
> 
> Enjoy!

**Dark Blue**

_Chapter Eight_

Lotor sat at his station on the command deck, leaning back with his legs stretched out while he slowly massaged his thumb against his index finger. He looked out to the never-ending field of stars hurtling past them, as they headed towards the Dalterion Belt where the next schematic lived. So far, the pieces were falling into place, if somewhat haphazardly.

Lotor took a breath in through his nose as he remembered their encounter with the Paladins only vargas ago. It hadn’t been a disastrous confrontation, in fact, Lotor felt that they were successful in crushing Voltron’s spirit, at least in part. Acxa had recounted how the destruction of Kuron disturbed the Black Paladin greatly as he had no inkling that the android was, indeed, an android. Then, when Lotor had forced Lance to shoot the Yellow Paladin, the other paladins all looked properly distressed.

That was what Lotor wanted, after all. To crush their spirits, leave them hopeless, break them. By all accounts, if he hadn’t broken them, then they were at least left with significant cracks. Lotor felt he should be pleased.

And yet…

Lance’s behavior had him worried. He was fighting against the spell with much more success than Lotor would have imagined. Lotor had given him direct orders in close proximity and yet, he was able to hold himself back from shooting. He followed through in the end but Lotor couldn’t help but be troubled by his puppet’s insubordination. Puppets shouldn’t pull the strings they’re attached to, after all.

_I made a mistake. I should have broken his spirit before using him…_

If only he had tortured the boy, crushed him, made him only the shell of the person he once was, then he surely wouldn’t have been so disobedient.

Lotor sighed. There wasn’t much use in lamenting the past but he would learn from this experience. He would _not_ be like his father -- a reckless tyrant whose downfall was his own hubris. No, Lotor was too sophisticated for that. He could recognize his own failings and that the Paladins of Voltron were capable of defeating him.

 _I will not be careless_ , he thought, pulling the first set of schematics from his pocket. He rubbed his thumb across the smooth sphere and narrowed his eyes at it.

There was no room for error. Lotor needed all of the schematics if he wanted to defeat Voltron, his only real threat.

He had taken some risks and been too eager to get his hands on the schematics, but it had cost him. Now, he was forced to race to the other schematics but he took comfort in knowing that the paladins were ignorant of his plans to acquire them.

Still...perhaps more preparations were in order.

“Acxa, how long until we reach the Dalterion Belt?” he asked.

“About another two and a half vargas, sir.”

He might not have time to properly wear down the Red Paladin, but he could certainly get him closer in that amount of time.

He stood up and with a quick “I will be back shortly” to his generals, he left the command deck for Lance’s cell block.

 

As Lotor walked down the corridor of the southern cell blocks, his footsteps echoed off of the walls and broke the eerie silence like lightning breaks the sky. There were dozens of cells on this side of the ship but Lotor wanted to keep the cells unoccupied to isolate the Red Paladin--to make him weak and compliant.

Lance’s cell was deep in the block and Lotor had no doubts that his prisoner knew he was approaching.

So, it was no surprise that when Lotor arrived in front the cell, Lance was sitting upright on his slab with a blank expression that gave little away. He sat with a tall, straight spine and eyes that watched Lotor carefully to show he was alert.

Lotor thought he looked older--less bright, less naive. Hardened.

“Sleeping well, Paladin?” he asked, his lip tugging up on one side to show an amused smirk.

He received no reply.

“Ah, you’re trying the ‘silent strength’ tactic, is that it? Understandable. You wouldn’t want to give me any satisfaction now, would you?”

Silence.

“Luckily, I don’t need you to speak. I just came here to offer my praise,” Lotor said with an easy flick of his hand.

This time, Lance twitched an eyebrow but quickly brought it down to its original position.

“The Yellow Paladin was significantly wounded by your shot. I think you may have killed him or, at the very least, left him a scar that will never heal.”   

When Lance flinched, Lotor couldn’t help but flash him a smile.

“You care a great deal for these ‘friends’ of yours, don’t you? Do you think they’d ever forgive you for what you did? _Truly_ forgive you? If you _were_ to ever escape, would you even have a place _to go_ , Lance?”

This made Lance shoot up to his feet, his face scrunched in an angry scowl.

“Oh, careful. You’re not supposed to let me know that I’m getting under your skin, remember?”

Lance narrowed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists, while Lotor kept smiling.

“My point is Lance, if you truly care for your friends, I suggest you stop fighting my orders. If you don’t, I’ll make you kill them, and if you won’t kill them, I’ll make you watch _me_ kill them and I won’t do so half as mercifully as you would.”

Lance was looking at him with eyes made of fire and storms. They were the eyes of man, a soldier, and no longer those of a boy.

“You’ll do as I say, Lance. You’ll get me the schematics and Voltron will fall. Your friends can’t compete with the Galra’s resources. I know you want to fight. I know you want to do whatever you can to stop me, but it’s futile. You’ll fail. Just like you always do.”

Lance huffed a breath but kept himself silent and steely, and Lotor was almost annoyed by it.

“You mistake silence for strength, Lance. I do not. We are nearing the next shrine. Let’s make it an uneventful visit, shall we?”

* * *

 

Shiro’s head was spinning. He and Matt were flying through space and had just finished watching Corina’s (or Acxa’s?) message to the rest of his team.

And he felt sick. Lotor had been using his memories to make a clone of him? A clone that was spying and giving away their every position? If that wasn’t enough to make Shiro want to throw up (and it was), then the fact that Lotor had _mind control powers_ certainly was.

Mind control powers he was using on the _Red Paladin._

Powers he was using on _Keith._

Guilt, grief, and fear swirled in the pit of Shiro’s stomach as he tried to steady himself by closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. Shiro was the only member of his team who knew what being imprisoned by the Galra for a prolonged amount of time was like, and by the stars, he’d never wish it on _anyone_.

But least of all Keith.Hadn’t Keith been through enough?

“Shiro? Shiro!” he heard Matt call. Shiro was standing right next to his pilot seat but he sounded oddly distant. He felt a weight on his shoulder and it grounded him. The walls stopped spinning and Matt’s amber eyes came into focus in front of him with brows knotted in worry.

“Shiro, answer me, man,” Matt said, pleading.

“Sorry. Sorry, I--” Shiro brought his index finger and thumb to rub his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose. “I just... _Keith_. I--”

Shiro tried to finish the sentence but he couldn’t piece the words together. The hand on his shoulder tightened.

“I know. Look, I only met Keith like, once or twice back at the Garrison but even I know he’s a scrappy kid. He’ll...He’ll be okay,” Matt said, but Shiro could hear the uncertainty in his voice. Matt, after all, _did_ know what Galra imprisonment was like. Even so, Shiro recognized that he had a point.

“You’re right. I’m just worried. He’s just a _kid_. They all are.”

The sudden realization hit like a boulder in Shiro’s abdomen, weighing him down as much as the heaviness in his heart did.

“Shiro...we’ll get him back, okay? One step at a time, right? We’re gonna get to the Dalterion Belt, find your team, and if Keith’s with Lotor, maybe we’ll get a chance to get him back, okay? We’ve got the upper hand here, even if it doesn’t feel like it.”

For a moment, all he could do was stare at Matt. At what point had he become such a steady pillar for Shiro to lean on?

“Yeah. Thanks, Matt.”

Matt gave Shiro a small, supportive smile and asked: “Hey, big guy, you’re lookin’ a little wobbly; why don’t you sit down?”

Shiro nodded and sat in the co-pilot’s seat, his dizziness fading.

“Are we far?”

“We still have a varga or so. This baby’s a speedster,” Matt said, patting the control panels as he sat back in his pilot seat.

“Do you know anything else about these schematics?” Shiro asked, trying to take his mind off Keith’s bleak situation.

“I was never really allowed to know much about Corina’s operation but from what I understand, they’re the blueprints to the Lions of Voltron, which y’know created _sentient, indestructible fighting machines._ If the Galra get their hands on it, Shiro…I don’t need to tell you that it won’t be good. The Galra already have incredible tech. I don’t know what would happen if they got their hands on technology like that,” Matt said and Shiro thought he looked paler.

“We won’t let them. You were right. We have the upper hand, now. We’ll stop them.”

Matt flashed him a smirk.

“Hmph. Here’s hoping I’m as smart as I think I am.”

* * *

 

It was no surprise to Lance when Zethrid and Narti came to escort him from his cell to the command deck a couple vargas after his last encounter with Lotor. During that time, Lance went over everything Lotor said over and over again.

_“If you truly care for your friends, I suggest you stop fighting my orders. If you don’t, I’ll make you kill them, and if you won’t kill them, I’ll make you watch me kill them and I won’t do so half as mercifully as you would.”_

Lance had tried his best to seem steely and strong in his cell, but this sentiment had shaken him to his core. He didn’t think it was possible to feel even more trapped than he did, but Lotor’s threat planted a deep seed of worry in him. The last thing he ever wanted was to hurt his friends, his family. Not again.

Regardless, Lance had made the decision quickly that he couldn’t give in, no matter what. Lotor may have threatened his friends, but Lance had more faith in them than that. They wouldn’t be so easy to kill and Lotor was a fool for underestimating them.

Zethrid pushed him forward with a strong jerk of his upper arm and he stepped quickly to avoid planting his face straight into the floor.

He opened his mouth to say ‘Hey! Watch the goods!’ but he remembered that he was no longer dignifying them with a response to their treatment of him. He kept his mouth shut and stared forward, keeping his face even, despite the fear that coursed through him.

He was afraid every single time he was taken from his cell. The last time he had seen the outside of it, he had attacked Allura and Hunk, and even succeeded in hurting the latter. Every time he left his cell, it meant that he was about to do something to help the Galra empire--that his body was going to be used to carry out the work of a fascist regime.

The worst part about it was that a part of him looked forward to being taken out of his cell, even though everyone was safer while he was in there. The isolation was getting to him. Lance wasn’t sure how long he had been captured for--he guessed a week or so--but the extended periods of alone time made his thoughts spiral to dark places. He did his best to climb out of those spirals, to keep himself sharp, but Lance understood why earth prisons had banned isolation cells decades ago.

Lance took in a deep breath. _You can do this,_ he told himself. _The others are gonna think of a plan to save you. That’s what they do._

Voltron was made up of some of the most incredible people he’d ever met--if anyone could save him from Lotor, it was them.

 _It’s a good thing I was the one captured since the rest of them are all the best of the best--no! Stop thinking like that!_ He told himself. Lance was used to batting away negative thoughts about himself but they came much more often lately.

Lance, Narti, and Zethrid continued to walk down the corridors of the comet ship until they came to the doors of the command deck. They whirred open and the three of them stepped inside. Acxa and Ezor were working away at their stations, while Lotor stood in the center of the room and looked out the window. Outside, Lance could see a swirl of asteroids that neatly orbited a small, green planet.

As Narti and Zethrid pushed Lance forward, Lotor turned around to greet them.

“Ah, Paladin. So nice of you to join us.”

Lance wanted to make a biting comment but he kept his vow of silence.

“Still keeping up with the silent treatment, I see? Well, no matter. I just need you to listen. Come,” Lotor beckoned and the three of them approached him.

“Now, this,” Lotor started, pointing at the green planet, “is the capital of the Daterion Belt. The shrine that holds the schematics is on that planet. Your mission is simple. Go to the temple. Extract the schematics. Board the ship. You can at least manage that much, can’t you?”

Lance stared straight ahead with a blank expression.

“I _should_ mention one other thing,” Lotor said and with a flick of his wrist, a bolt of purple quintessence came shooting towards Lance. He made to dodge it but his arms were securely fastened by Narti and Zethrid.

The bolt hit Lance square in the chest and he let out a scream at the contact. The pure quintessence shot through his entire body and set his cells alit with electricity. It was similar to the sensation of being put under Narti and Lotor’s spell but with increased intensity and without the fire of Narti’s magic to dilute the horrible stinging of Lotor’s quintessence. It was like Narti’s magic had been holding back the raw power and potency of the quintessence. That, and it was lasting far longer than it took to put him under the spell and the pain was like nothing Lance had ever felt before.  He felt his knees hit the ground as he continued to scream out. He tried to writhe around to relieve some of the pain but every movement seemed to make it all worse and he needed it to _stop_.

Then, it did. The bright purple light had vanished from in front of Lance and just left Lotor gazing down at him with a sinister grin on his face. Lance looked up at him with wide, scared eyes as he took in gasping breaths of air.

Lotor stepped forward until he was standing right before Lance and staring down at him with cold, unforgiving eyes.

“I expect you to follow my orders without resistance. If I even get a hint of you pushing back, then be prepared for a much longer session of quintessence transference.”

Lance could only stare back at Lotor with sweat trailing down his brow and disdain clear on his face. He had always known that torture was a possibility, but now that it was here, Lance felt fear anew--deeper and more desperate, like a mouse in a snake’s terrarium.

“Get him up, we’ll be arriving soon,” Lotor said, addressing Narti and Zethrid. They promptly obeyed and lifted Lance back on to his feet. For the moment, Lance was glad for their strength because his own muscles, turned to useless jelly by Lotor’s attack, wouldn’t have kept him up.

They approached the planet quickly and as they entered the planet’s atmosphere, Lance could see the lush foliage that covered the planet. It was deep green for miles and miles but as they continued across the small planet, Lance could see a large patch of dead brown in the distance.

They came to the dead zone and Lance could see a tall, green lion’s head with a green particle barrier that looked near-identical to the one he saw on the planet Rygnirath, differing in only color and material. It was the only green to be seen in the patch of dead trees and mud, making it feel like an ancient ruin from Earth. The ship slowed and carefully descended to make contact with an open patch of land near the shrine.

When they landed, Zethrid and Narti walked Lance to the hangar door while the others led the way. When they approached the hangar door that came down into a ramp, they all placed their Galra-issued space helmets on, Narti putting Lance’s on for him. As the hangar door came down Lance gasped as he took in the spectacular view of the shrine. The lion, which looked to be made of a stone, was covered in bright green moss and was surrounded by an amphitheater of scaffolding made of dead tree branches.

“Narti, are you ready?” Lotor asked and she nodded. Lance took in a sharp breath as he awaited the searing hot magma of Narti’s magic and the biting bolts of Lotor’s Quintessence.

Then, the crack of a sonic boom was heard overhead and the entire party looked towards the sky. Lance felt his eyes widen as he saw a flash of white, then a faraway object moving fast in the atmosphere but getting closer and _bigger_.

It was a site he had seen hundreds of times on missions to aid Galra-infiltrated planets when requesting back-up. It was the Castle of Lions coming through a wormhole and one of the Lions coming in to land on the planet.

Lance’s breath hitched as hope filled him. They had found him. They were coming for him!

“No!” Lotor growled through clenched teeth. “Narti! Now!”

Panic filled Lance again and clawed painfully at his chest. He needed to give the other’s time and stall for as long possible to give himself a fighting chance.

He kicked and writhed against Zethrid who was the only one holding onto him now and she bared her teeth at his pitiful attempts.    

“You won’t get away that easy, _Paladin_ ,” Zethrid said and then she placed a claw on both of his arms and pinned them to his side. He threw all of his weight into his legs to hopefully kick any part of her but her wingspan was too great of a distance for even his long legs.

He continued to thrash against her even though he knew escape was impossible, but escape wasn’t important. What was important was giving the others more time to get there. Even if it was only a few extra seconds, he’d do what he could to buy them some time.

His efforts were thwarted by a shot hitting his back like gunfire. He let out a cry that was soon silenced by another, more painful jolt that spread throughout his entire body and mixed with the hot magic. Then, his vision blurred into the purple haze that let him know he was no longer in control. The Galra handcuffs around his wrists were removed as a command from Lotor rang in his ears.

“Lance! Retrieve the schematics from the shrine and board my ship as quickly as possible.”

His body twitched towards the shrine, his Bayard appearing in his hand as the Yellow Lion crashed through a wall of trees, destruction in its wake.

Lance sprinted towards the shrine but he resisted it as much as he could even with the pain searing into his cells with the effort. Even if he could just get himself to take smaller steps, or slow down his pace even a little, then maybe they’d reach him. It didn’t matter how much it hurt or how exhausted it made him. He had to slow down.

 _Slow down, slow down, slow down,_ please _slow down._

* * *

 

Keith took after Lance.

They hadn’t planned this, but as Keith saw Lance darting for the shrine where the schematics were undeniably held, he knew he had to be the one to go after him. Only Keith stood a chance against Lance’s long legs, so he chased after him without so much as a word to the others.

They had decided to only take the Yellow Lion since she had the strongest armor and could cut through the thick trees Coran reported were on the planet. It had worked and by the looks of it, they had gotten to the planet in the nick of time. A few doboshes later and Lotor would have been gone. Lance would have been gone.

As soon as the four of them rushed out of the Yellow Lion, projectiles came hurtling their way, but they all put their shields up fast enough to block the initial onslaught. Allura jumped into action first, setting her sights on Lotor immediately. He let out a grunt as Allura’s Bayard came whipping towards him, blocking it only at the very last moment.

Hunk let out a barrage of blasts from his Bayard at Narti and the large general, while Pidge braced out her own against the multicolored general racing her way.

Keith saw the familiar form of Lance in the distance and dashed towards it.

Then, a whirl of purple and black came from overhead and landed in front of him. Acxa stood before him with her blaster pointed at his chest. Not in the mood to play act with her, Keith wielded his Bayard and scowled at her.

“Get out of my way,” he snarled. She sent him a look that was meant to convey a message, but Keith wasn’t sure what she wanted. Frustrated she set off a shot at his feet. He jumped back and made the connection that she wanted him to fake fight her.

Obliging, He came swinging at her with his sword and she blocked it, but hardly put any force into pushing back. Keith pressed down on the blaster she used to parry and she moved her face closer to his.

“Kick me in the stomach,” she commanded in the smallest of whispers.

“What?!” Keith asked, face in a scowl. She glared at him.

“Just do it. Send me flying. You have to get him,” she said and Keith met her eyes. She gave a curt nod of permission and Keith agreed.

He pulled away fast off her blaster and sent a kick to her stomach he hoped wasn’t too hard. She went darting back and hit the ground hard, but Keith didn’t dare to check up on her because every second he delayed, the further the distance between him and Lance.

So, Keith took after him.

Lance had a significant lead but Keith pushed his legs to sprint as fast as they could, his calves already straining beneath him. The shrine was about a football field away and Lance was halfway to it, gaining distance from Lotor. If Keith could just pin him down, get his Bayard away from him, _talk_ to him, he could break the curse held over Lance.

Keith felt his heart swell, and not from the exercise.

He wanted Lance back. He could _get Lance back_.

He ran, still yards away from Lance but getting closer. Keith was running with every muscle in his body. Lance...wasn’t. He was running but Keith knew he could go faster and something like hope bubbled in him. If Lance was actively fighting the spell and gaining distance from Lotor, they could really do this.

As they ran, Keith focused on Lance’s shoulders and the colors of his Altean armor. He zeroed in on the easy motion there, willing himself to get closer and closer--to be within arm’s reach.

Lance reached the shrine and brought his Bayard to the monolith in front of its entrance.

“ _LANCE!_ ” Keith shouted and it caused Lance to tilt his head in his direction. With a pang, Keith saw the ominous purple smoke wafting from Lance’s usual stormy-blue eyes through the visor of his Galran helmet. There was some recognition there though, as Lance’s eyebrows perked up once he saw Keith and then furrowed. Keith’s heart leaped up to his throat.

Lance, breaking their eye contact, faced his Bayard and turned it into the monolith like a key, albeit with hesitation. Keith was getting close now, but as Lance turned his Bayard the ground shook, almost making Keith fall flat on his face before he caught himself.

He continued running through the rumbling as the green particle barrier around the lion’s head came down and a loud roar echoed in the air. The lion’s eyes glowed yellow and Keith could see the stone doors sliding open slowly.

 _Just a little further_ , Keith thought, his calves burning and his breathing heavy. Keith was nearing the shrine as Lance disappeared into it. The room was small and only seemed to have a pedestal with an object on it, which would make it the _perfect_ place to corner Lance and get him snap out of it.

He was passing the monolith and preparing to tackle Lance to the ground, but Lance turned around too fast, and suddenly, Keith faced the barrel of his blaster.

Keith assumed a defensive stance and stared hard at the person in front of him. Lance had been gone less than a week but it had felt _so_ much longer. Some tension in Keith’s chest released despite the threat of Lance’s gun in front of him. Lance was here and he was close enough to touch, and something about that made it easier to breathe.  

Keith brought up his shield and activated his Bayard. He had Lance where he wanted him for the most part, and now that Keith was within fighting distance he would bring Lance back, even if he had to give him a couple bruises to do it. His stomach turned uncomfortably at the thought, but he tried to remember that Lance would want Keith to do whatever he could to release him.  

“ _Lance!_ I know you’re in there. I know you’re fighting. Keep doing what you’re doing. I’m going to help you,” Keith said, emotion and sincerity thick on his tongue. Lance didn’t move, instead, he kept his hands on his Bayard with the white object squeezed between them. Keith supposed it was the schematics and made a note to take it away from Lance.

Keith took a small, tentative step forward but felt a blast hit his shield and he grunted with the impact. It wasn’t a good shot, especially not with how close they were to each other, and a lump formed in Keith’s throat. Keith knew it in his bones that Lance was doing his best to keep from hurting him.

“I know you don’t want to hurt me,” Keith said, coming closer. Lance sent another blast to the same place on Keith’s shield, but this time, Keith was ready for it. He maneuvered out of the way and closed the distance between them, then crashed his shield hard against Lance’s hands in a sweeping motion, knocking his Bayard and the schematics out of them. Lance’s eyebrows quirked up in surprise and Keith took the opportunity to put down his shield and slam an elbow against Lance’s ribs just below his armor plate.

“Sorry, Lance,” Keith said honestly and his stomach lurched again.

Lance grunted but retaliated quickly by grabbing Keith’s wrist and twisting it. Keith let out a cry of pain and awkwardly swiped his shield at Lance’s shins, not wanting to hurt him too bad, but succeeding in getting his arm back. Keith then deactivated his Bayard, too scared to use it against Lance. Instead, he went in to kick at his side but Lance blocked it with a speed and precision Keith had never seen from him before. When had Lance gotten so fast? When it came to hand-to-hand combat, Lance was usually pretty hesitant, never really trusting his instincts and usually second-guessing himself. This was a Lance free of doubt and he was a much scarier opponent.

Still, Keith didn’t train for hours every day to be one-upped by a possessed Lance. It was time to stop playing nice.

Keith fought against Lance with the kind of skill that could only come from hours and hours of practice, his body weaving through Lance’s attacks and landing hits with firm, but always cautious fists.

Finally, after Keith had landed a hit against Lance’s stomach, he doubled over and clutched the assaulted area. Seeing a window of opportunity, Keith dropped to the floor and swept his leg across Lance’s, causing him to fall onto the soft earth beneath him, his helmet tumbling off.

Keith wasted no time straddling Lance and pinning his wrists to the ground.

For a moment, Lance and Keith were still. Lance looked up at him with eyebrows up in surprise and Keith panted hard over him, his heart beating wildly.

He looked into Lance’s face which morphed from shocked to panicked and frightened, desperate even. His purple eyes flitted around as if searching for something and then trained in on what they were looking for nearby. Keith followed his line of sight and saw Lance’s Bayard and the small, white ball that held the schematics. Lance’s chest heaved in the direction of the objects and he fought against Keith’s grip like his touch pained him.

“Lance, Lance, you got this. C’mon fight it!” Keith said, straining against Lance’s attempts to break free. Lance was made of way more muscle than Keith gave him credit for and it took all of Keith’s strength to keep him from moving.

Then, madly, Keith realized the position they were in and blood rushed up from his neck to his cheeks.

 _Lance is gonna kill me once he’s back to normal_ , he thought and tried to think of literally anything else because now was _not_ the time.

 _How do I get you back?_ He thought, looking into his friend’s pained, terrified face as a wave of guilt hit Keith like ice water. He wished he hadn’t hurt Lance, even if they were only jabs meant to subdue rather than injure. It was clear that Lance was going through enough pain. Keith wondered if his grip on Lance’s wrists would cause them to bruise since he had to put so much pressure on them. With another lurch in his stomach, Keith hoped Lance’s wrist guards would protect him from their struggle. He saw Lance’s hands clench and push to get free and tension crept back into Keith’s chest.

 _Guys, please, hurry,_ he thought.  

The rest of the team was supposed to be distracting Lotor and he prayed they were doing alright, especially when it was their three against Lotor’s five. The generals had proven to be seasoned warriors in their own right, but if the others distracted Lotor enough, then Lance would probably be able to snap out of it. Until then, Keith needed to do whatever he could to break the spell on his own.

Acxa had said that they just needed to get him away from Lotor and then after that, it should be easy, but Lance was just as possessed as before.

 _How do you_ even _break spells?_ He wondered and racked his brain for another strategy than just yelling at Lance.

What was it that those old fairy tales always went on about?

And just like that, all of the blood that had filtered from Keith’s neck and cheeks rushed right back to his face, coloring him redder than his armor as he remembered _exactly_ what all those old fairy tales went on about.

 _STUPID!_ He yelled at himself and immediately threw away the idea like a dusty rag. Keith opted just to keep talking to Lance until he said the magic words or something.

“Lance, look, you need to listen to me. We need you to push through this. I know it’s hard and it looks like it probably hurts, but I know you can do it. Hunk, Pidge, and Allura are fighting Lotor and his generals _right_ _now_ and we have to help them…”

Keith trailed off as the purple smoke in Lance’s eyes seemed to waver--lighten even--as they were trained on Keith’s eyes now, instead of the Bayard and Schematics.

“Lance, we need to help them. C’mon, man, keep doing what you’re doing and we can take you _home._ The castle is way too quiet without you making stupid jokes and--OOF!”

Keith was interrupted by something like a freight train crashing into him--pinning him down and knocking the wind out of him.

Keith gasped as he saw Lance stand and look down at him with eyes just as magenta as they were before they started fighting.

* * *

 

It only took two doboshes from the time Shiro and Matt landed on the surface of the green planet in the center of the Dalterion Belt for the Yellow Lion to come hurtling out of the sky.

Matt had landed on a small patch of free land behind the “shrine” Corina had described in her message, the cloaking activated to hide them from sight. The ship had picked up the signal of another vessel and now that the Yellow Lion was on the scene, Shiro assumed the signal they picked up was Lotor’s ship. Shiro was thankful for the ship the Director had given them as it gave them the element of surprise and as they trudged through the planet’s thick forest, they made sure to walk with light feet to keep it.

They approached the line where the lush, green foliage suddenly became ashen brown and Shiro wondered what happened to have killed everything within the circle-shaped dead zone around the shrine.

Matt and Shiro crept up to the scaffolding that surrounded the shrine in a half-moon shape and stopped once they reached its base.

The scaffolding looked as if it was made of thousands of roots that had magically grown in a way to provide the tall pillars that made up its structure and planking. Shiro figured it must have been used to host audiences at one point, making it a good vantage point for the surrounding area. With the roots making up guard rails as well, it would even give them adequate cover.

Shiro looked over one of the pillars and pushed his body weight into it. It was sturdy and with the amount of texture on it, it would be easy to climb.

Shiro was about to motion for Matt to climb up the scaffolding after him when the ground shook and a mighty roar rung loud in his ears. Shiro reached for a wobbling Matt’s forearm to steady him and planted his own feet in a strong stance to stay upright. Then, the earthquake faded away until the ground was even once more.

Shiro made eye contact with Matt and mouthed “you okay?” to which Matt answered with a nod.

With the earthquake over, Shiro looked at Matt, then the scaffolding, and pointed upwards. Matt followed Shiro’s finger, then looked back at him, and gave him another quick nod. Satisfied, Shiro started climbing up the pillar to the second of three floors of the scaffolding. He reached the guard rails, or guard _roots_ , rather, and vaulted his legs over them and landed neatly on the planking.

Matt, whose upper body strength wasn’t quite at Shiro’s level, struggled to reach the guard rails, but as soon as he was within reach, Shiro made a grab for his hand and helped him over the railing.

“Thanks,” Matt huffed in a whisper, his breathing heavy.

“Don’t mention it. Stay low,” Shiro whispered back and Matt nodded.

They crouched as they moved along the scaffolding, heading towards the front of the shrine. About mid-way from the back of the shrine, Shiro motioned for Matt to halt. Matt obeyed and Shiro took the chance to peak his head over the wooden rails.  

There, right in front of the lion shrine, were Keith and Lance. Shiro’s heart jumped into his throat at the sight of them but his joy was short-lived as he realized they were _fighting_.

Fighting wasn’t exactly uncommon between Keith and Lance, but their spats had never resulted in violence. They may have toed the line a couple of times, but they never crossed it. Especially, when there were _Galra_ to fight.

No, Shiro knew something was wrong. Keith must have been controlled by Lotor and Lance was trying to disarm him.

It didn’t look like he was having much luck though, as Keith was landing hits that Lance failed to block. Keith was always the more adept at hand-to-hand combat and Lance was at a disadvantage. Then, Shiro noticed that Lance’s normal blue helmet was replaced by a Galran one. He briefly wondered if he might have lost or broken his and found that one on a mission or something.

Shiro’s train of thought was broken, however, as Keith swiped Lance’s legs from underneath him and quickly pinned him to the ground. Shiro’s eyes widened as he held his breath. If he didn’t get down there soon, Keith could _kill_ Lance. It was time for Shiro to blow his and Matt’s cover.

Without alerting Matt to his plan, Shiro went to the nearest pillar and vaulted over the rails. He shimmied down the pillar as fast as he could, opting to just jump onto the ground once he knew he was close enough.

He took off sprinting towards Keith and Lance, praying he would get there before Keith hurt him. As he got closer, he could see Lance fighting against Keith’s grip as hard as he could, while Keith struggled to keep him down. It didn’t look like he was able to grab his Bayard, so maybe Keith was just holding him until reinforcements came. In fact, he seemed to be yelling something to Lance.

Shiro ran harder, still yards away from his friends as he trained his eyes on Keith. Shiro was the strongest out of all of them, and once he restrained Keith, Lance and Matt could help him get Keith to come to his senses.

He was getting close now, Keith’s position unchanging, and in a few moments, he would be able to tackle him off of Lance.

When he was finally at the right distance, Shiro kicked hard off of the ground and went flying towards Keith. Shiro wrapped his arms around him as he tackled him to the floor with an “OOF!”

“KEITH! Snap out of it! This isn’t you!” Shiro yelled, looking up at Keith’s face.

But Keith wasn’t looking at him. Keith was looking at Lance, who had just stood up.

Shiro followed his line of sight, his eyes landing on Lance’s shoes first. His eyes followed up Lance’s body until they landed on Lance’s uncovered face.

Shiro felt the blood drain from his cheeks as he realized he had made a terrible mistake.

Because Keith wasn’t the one controlled by Lotor.

Lance glowered at them both, his eyes a menacing purple haze that reminded Shiro of the smoke off a cigarette. Lance looked away and his corrupted eyes searched around on the floor to train on something else.

Then, the body beneath Shiro writhed to break free.

“ _Shiro?!_ ” Keith yelled, looking at him with so many emotions flashing through his face that Shiro couldn’t read it at all. Keith shoved against Shiro’s shoulders and he backed off, still reeling from the turn of events. Keith pushed himself up onto his feet and went after Lance, who had just scooped something off the ground and took off running.

Shiro, coming back to his senses, got up as well and joined the chase. He briefly turned around to make sure Matt was following him and found him several yards behind, but following all the same.

They all sprinted hard, forming a line with the spaces between them almost equidistant. Shiro could tell that Keith was sprinting as hard as he could to get to Lance again, but Lance was probably the fastest of them and he had a considerable head start.

Still, they ran until their lungs burned and until Shiro heard a voice up ahead.

“LANCE! Get in the ship!” said the voice. “Everyone, get back to the ship!”

The ship in question was not far ahead and it looked like Lance was heading straight for it, with Keith, Shiro, and Matt all in tow.

Then, Shiro saw a few aliens approaching the open ramp of the ship, all seeming to have come out of a battle and prepared to flee.

“Ezor, now!” shouted the same voice as before and within seconds, a ruby-colored alien jumped in front of the ramp, just as Lance’s feet touched it and threw something forcefully on the ground.

Then, Shiro’s vision was completely blinded by a dust-colored haze. He stopped and looked all around him, but could only see the fog in every direction.

 _A smoke-bomb_ , Shiro realized.

“Keith?!” Shiro yelled hoping to find him in the mess.

Instead of an answer back, Shiro just heard the whirring of the ramp closing and the roar of the ship’s engines starting.

“ _NO!_ ” shouted Keith’s voice, distant but loud and clear.

Shiro’s stomach dropped as he realized they were going to get away and there was nothing he could do about it.

And it was entirely, wholly his fault.

There was a gust of wind so powerful it nearly knocked Shiro to the ground and thinned the smoke around him. Shiro fanned the area in front of himself, hoping to get it to clear faster but the motion did nothing.

“Keith!? Keith, where are you!” he called out, but again, he received no response.

Shiro kept fanning the area around him but the smoke just seemed to thin at its own pace.

After a couple more seconds, the smoke cleared enough for Shiro to see a silhouette that looked vaguely Keith-shaped and he approached it. He reached out to put his arm on Keith’s shoulder and in a sad, low voice muttered, “Keith.”

In response, Keith stuck the sharp end of his Bayard in front of Shiro’s face.

Shiro stilled, then put his hands in a surrendered position as the fog lifted around him. He could see Keith’s face now with only a thin veil of the smoke obscuring it.

He was wrecked and furious. His eyebrows were slanted in angry slopes at his brow and his teeth were bared in a scowl, but his eyes looked heavy with a deep sadness.

“Keith,” Shiro said gently, “It’s me--”

“Where did you come from?!” Keith interrupted, his tone hoarse and cutting.

“Keith, listen to me--”

“ _Where_ did you come from?!” Keith asked, more forcefully this time and inching his Bayard closer to Shiro’s face for good measure. Shiro realized that the question was meant to ensure he was really who he said he was and his heart ached for what Keith must have gone through--what he was going through now.

“I came here from Phenlen, the rebel base planet. Matt’s with me. The Director of the Rebellion gave us a ship and Corina’s message to you, so we came as fast as we could. It’s me, Keith.”

The hard lines of Keith’s brows softened then into wide-eyed hope. Keith looked down to scan his frame, then his eyes went back up to meet Shiro’s.

With a hitch in his breath, Keith lowered his Bayard.

“It’s-it’s really you?” Keith asked, his voice small.

“It’s really me.”

At Shiro’s words Keith’s face scrunched up in emotion and he slammed himself against Shiro in a desperate hug.

Slightly taken aback, Shiro wrapped his arms around Keith who let out a singular choked sob.

“I was so close, Shiro. We almost had him back,” Keith said, voice hoarse and quiet. Guilt and sorrow dripped over the happiness in his chest like tar as he tightened his arms around Keith.

“I know. I’m so sorry, Keith. When the message said the 'Red Paladin' I just assumed…”

Keith let out a defeated sigh and gently hit his forehead against Shiro’s shoulder in answer--a silent “I get it.”

“We’ll get him back. They got away from us this time, but I swear, Keith. We’ll get him back.”    

* * *

 

 _No. No, not again_ , Pidge thought as the fog lifted around her and she watched Lotor’s ship disappear into the atmosphere.

She, Hunk, and Allura had all fought as hard as they could against Lotor and his Generals, had tried to distract Lotor as much as possible to give Keith and Lance a shot, but Pidge had seen it. She had watched the moment the generals disengaged from battle, heard Lotor calling them onto the ship, saw Lance dive onto the boarding ramp as one of the generals, _Ezor_ , set off a smoke bomb.

And now? Now she watched Lance be stolen away from them for the third time in a week and she wanted to vomit. She wanted to kick and throw things.

They had the advantage this time. It shouldn’t have turned out this way.

Her stomach made an unpleasant lurch and she snapped her eyes shut to push back the tears threatening to come out. If she cried now, she worried she’d never stop.

“Hunk?! Allura?!” she called, ignoring the painful thoughts of Lance and their failure as best she could.

“Pidge?!” said Hunk’s voice.

“I’m here!” called Allura. Well, none of them had been seriously injured this time, so that was a small blessing.

“We have to find Keith!” Pidge said, projecting her voice.

“We won’t get very far in this smoke,” Allura said, “but it’s thinning.”

As Allura spoke, the smoke lifted enough that Pidge could see Hunk’s distinctive silhouette.

“Hunk! I see you!”

“Huh?! Pidge, where?!” Hunk asked, his silhouette looking around frantically. Pidge went up to him, close enough now to see the details of his person.

“Right here, Hunk,” Pidge said before placing an arm on Hunk’s. He jumped briefly but relaxed when he saw that it was her.

“There you are,” Hunk said to Pidge. “Allura!”

“Here! Here! I see you!” she said and within a second she was in front of them.

“Come on, we should try to get out of this smoke and look for Keith,” Pidge said and they nodded their agreement. Pidge started walking, unsure of where she had come from but didn’t care to worry about it since as long as they kept walking they’d eventually find an exit.

As it was, the smoke was clearing away faster now and they could see at least three feet in front of them.

They kept walking, making sure to be careful as not to run into any surprise rocks on the way, but as the fog continued to clear they grew less cautious.

Then, Pidge spotted two figures in the distance. One was thin and the other looked burly,  but it gave Pidge pause. If Lance, Lotor, and his generals had all left on their ship, then who was the other figure?

Hunk and Allura must have had a similar thought as they drew their Bayards and Pidge followed suit. They walked closer with tentative steps and with defensive stances. Pidge prayed that she didn’t need to get into another fight. The last one had left her bruised and battered, and she _really_ didn’t want to go another round.

As they got closer, the fog had thinned to the point where the silhouettes seemed to be just behind a veil of gray tulle. She was even picking up details, nothing distinguishing but getting more defined with every step they took.

And then, very suddenly, the picture became clear.

The bulky figure wasn’t one person, it was two--one being Keith and the other--

“Shiro?!” Hunk yelled and Shiro, who had been hugging Keith, looked up in confusion, but then, as soon as he recognized who had called for him, broke out into a dazzling smile.

Pidge felt a hard lump form in her throat and her chest tighten as she looked at Keith and Shiro.

_If Shiro’s here then--_

Her eyes flicked to the thin figure she had seen before and felt her eyes grow wide as she took him in.

He was tall and lanky, his hair a mop of sandy blonde, and his eyes as amber as hers. She felt a shake in her knees and her heart hit the floor with the realization.

“Matt,” she breathed and somehow, Matt heard her because his amber eyes met her own and they went wide.

“Katie!” he yelled, his voice cracking and so full of emotion that it made Pidge choke out a sob in his name.  

And then, he was running.

And Pidge was running too.  

And nothing else mattered because _Matt._ Matt was here. Matt was alive. Matt was _here_.

They collided like magnets, both letting out huffed noises on impact.

“I can’t believe you’re _here_ ,” Pidge said, her voice strained and cracking as hot tears streamed down her face.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” Matt responded in such a sincere, desperate voice that Pidge could only let out another sob.

Without warning, Pidge felt her knees give out and they fell to the ground on their knees together, Matt tightly clutching Pidge’s shoulders while she held onto his middle.

“I missed you. I missed you _so much_. The Garrison said you were dead but I _knew_! I knew you weren’t. I came looking for you! I-I-” Pidge said before her voice just refused to work. Matt pulled back from their hug to take her in. His face was just as much of a mess as Pidge assumed hers looked, but he smiled big and wide through the tear tracks staining his cheeks.

“I missed you too. Shiro’s told me about everything you did, Katie. Everything you’ve done. I’m so proud of you. I mean, I don’t feel super great about you fighting in a war and all, but I’m still proud. I’ve got the coolest little sister in the universe.”

Pidge felt her lips settle into a small smile as another wave of tears hit her. She grabbed Matt’s middle once again, her helmet hitting up against his chest.

“I’ve got the coolest big brother in the universe,” she echoed as Matt hugged her back.

After a bit, they separated and stood up. Pidge looked over to Shiro and the rest of the team embracing. They all smiled, but it didn’t reach their eyes as all of them were exhausted and pained by how unfairly close they were to being whole again. Pidge’s small smile was weighed down by the underlying sadness and emptiness by Lance’s absence, and she felt a bitterness rise in her throat. Seeing her brother again should have been a joyous moment, not one tinged with loss and defeat.

Still, as she approached Shiro, she counted her blessings that he was here and he was safe, and that he had brought her brother back to her.

And as Shiro enveloped her in a crushing bear hug, Pidge thought to herself, _two down, two to go._   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for putting them all through so much! But hey, this arc is nearing its climax, so that's something right? And hey uh...more Garrison Flashbacks are coming *eye emoji*
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'm really excited for the next chapter so I feel like I'll get it out faster but...I make no promises haha. 
> 
> And hey! If you're digging this, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Comments are really motivating and I really love reading them :') 
> 
> I'm on tumblr [here](http://thunder-dor.tumblr.com/)! Come say hi!


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"We were like, rivals. You know, ‘Lance and Keith, neck and neck.’"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah, I'm honestly so excited to post this chapter! I've been really looking forward to writing it and it...really got away from me, oh boy. 
> 
> Notes:  
> 1.) This chapter is 24k words, so don't ever say I don't keep you well fed ;)  
> 2.) Big love to my beta [Emma](http://riptidelance.tumblr.com/) for betaing this monster! Like, whoa what a champ amiright?!?  
> 3.) Aaah this fic is now over 100k words and dang, can't believe I wrote a novel about these dumb teenagers in space dsfkls  
> 4.) Heads up: Lance uses he/him pronouns for Pidge during his portion of the flashback since it was before she was revealed to be a girl :)
> 
> Enjoy!

**Dark Blue**

_Chapter Nine_

“Give me the schematics!” Lotor yelled as the comet ship lifted from the Dalterion Belt’s capital and up into the atmosphere.

Lance, who had dived on to the hangar ramp as the ship started up, was still crouched down near the floor while the ship was evening out.

Lotor still held him under his control, but he could feel the connection wavering like a flame caught in a breeze, so he made a point to get the schematics before Lance returned to normal--not that it would have stopped Lotor from obtaining his prize.

Without fuss, Lance stood and handed the second set of schematics to Lotor. He gripped hard around the white sphere, anger coursing through his veins from the knowledge they had only gotten away with it by the smallest of margins. Lotor was not a fan of small margins.

“Zethrid, Narti! Take him to his cell,” he said with a raised voice. Narti and Zethrid grabbed Lance by his upper arms and with a flick of Lotor’s hand, the magenta smoke in Lance’s eyes faded then disappeared into the air. As Lance’s knees buckled underneath him and he let out a shuddering breath of relief, Lotor turned away from him and headed to the command deck. He would deal with Lance’s insubordination later.

With quickened steps, Lotor made his way to the command deck with his hand still tightly clutching the schematics.

 _They knew. They knew we’d be there. How?_ Lotor asked himself. He approached the command deck doors and they whirred open for him, alerting Acxa and Ezor to his presence.

“Sir?” Acxa asked as he found his seat.

“How did they know, Acxa?”

Lotor’s question set a palpable, heavy silence in the command deck and it took several moments before Acxa broke it.

“It...could have been any number of things, sir. The Princess and her aide surely would have known of the shrines’ existences. Perhaps they realized you would need a Paladin to access them and were lucky in their timing.”

 _Or_ , Lotor thought, _they were tipped off._

The thought rolled around in Lotor’s mind for a bit. It was possible, but Acxa’s suggestion was also possible. Who would betray him though? The only ones who knew were his generals and Haggar.

_Haggar…_

Now, that, was a possibility. Lotor squeezed his free hand into a fist and let out a frustrated sigh. If that was the case, there was nothing he could do about it now.

“Set a course for Nalquod immediately. Get us there as quickly as possible,” he said.

Acxa and Ezor shared a brief look before Ezor asked, “um, should we be doing that?”

“Are you questioning my orders, Ezor?” he asked, acid on his tongue.

“N-no, sir! I was just thinking that, um…”

“That since the Paladins have discovered that we’re collecting the schematics, then it’s possible they’ll be waiting for us on Nalquod. They can travel far faster than us with the use of wormholes,” Acxa said, her tone even. “If we go to Nalquod, we may be walking right into an ambush.”

“If we ever hope to destroy Voltron for good, we’ll need all three schematics.”

“But, Sir--”

“Don’t worry yourself, Acxa. I have a plan. Set a course for Nalquod.”   

* * *

 

With a gasping breath, Shiro fell out of the Cryopod and into Allura and Keith’s waiting arms. One Cryopod over, Hunk was catching Matt as he tumbled out of it.

“You alright, Shiro?” Keith asked while he helped Shiro steady himself.

“Yeah, I’m good. So,” Shiro said, looking over at Matt, then Allura, “did we pass?”

Coran, popping out from behind Allura, answered him, “with flying colors! You’re both 100% human. Well, technically, Shiro’s closer to 89.67% human with his Galra tech arm, but you’re definitely _our_ Shiro! We’re so glad to have you back.”

Coran placed a hand on Shiro’s shoulder blade and gave him a small smile with eyes that seemed a little shinier than they were moments before.

“Thanks, Coran. It’s good to be back.”

“I’m sorry we had to put you in the Cryopods,” Allura said. “After what happened with the android, we had to take precautions.”

“You did the right thing. The last thing we need is another spy in our midst,” Shiro said.

Pidge, smiling from ear-to-ear, gave her brother another big hug. “I’m just so glad it’s really you guys.”

“Me too, honestly. Would have been real weird to find out I was a clone the entire time,” Matt said, ruffling her hair.

“Shut up,” Pidge said with a punch to his shoulder, but smiling besides.

Keith allowed himself a small smile too. There was still a giant, Lance-shaped hole in the room, but this was the most whole they had been in a long time. It was nice.

“Hey guys, I hate to interrupt the celebration, and all, but we need to figure out our next moves pronto. Lotor only has one schematic left and once he has it he-” Hunk started, pausing as his face fell, “well, he won’t need Lance anymore.”

Then, just like that, the small amount of joy they had accumulated in the twenty minutes Matt and Shiro were in the Cryopods was gone. It was replaced by a sudden, grief-stricken silence that seemed to suck all the air out of the room.

They all knew it--the unspoken thing Hunk was alluding to, but it was hard to face; because the cold, hard truth of it was that once Lance outlived his usefulness, Lotor would likely dispose of him. The thought made something in Keith’s chest twist violently.

“I fear that we gave up our advantage when we failed to break Lance free from Lotor’s spell. Now, Lotor knows we’re aware of his plan to acquire the schematics,” Allura said, her fist clutched to her chest.

“Well, we know where the last schematic is, so shouldn’t we just head straight there?” Keith asked.

“Even at hyperspeed, it will take Lotor at least four vargas to reach Nalquod. With my ability to open wormholes, Lotor must know we would beat him there. The cause for concern is that he might not even attempt to acquire the schematics.”

“I doubt that,” Pidge said, adjusting her glasses.

Raising an eyebrow, Shiro asked, “why’s that?”

“Because Lotor has something _we_ want and, when we inevitably have the schematics, we’ll have something _he_ wants.”

“So, you think he’ll want to cut a deal? The schematics for Lance?” Keith asked.

“Katie,” Matt started, “we can’t do that. If Lotor gets his hands on all three schematics, it’s game over. The rebellion doesn’t have the resources to keep up with the Galra as it is and if they also have access to Voltron’s tech? We’re doomed.”

Something hot and irrational rose in Keith’s throat, and before he had a chance to check himself, the words were already flying out of his mouth. “We’re not sacrificing Lance to Lotor!” he said and he could feel the way his brows were knitted tightly together, eyes boring into Matt.

Surprised, Matt raised his arms in defense. “Whoa, dude, hang on. That’s not what I meant. I just meant that we have to figure out a way to keep Lotor from getting the last of the schematics _and_ save Lance.”

Keith, with fire still coursing through his veins, tried to calm himself down but he was still itching for a fight. He wasn’t going to entertain any plans that didn’t include Lance getting home safe as the endgame.

“Yeah, don’t worry, Keith. Leaving Lance with Lotor is definitely _not_ an option,” Hunk said, placing a hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“We’re not going to leave Lance with Lotor, but we _do_ need a plan. Pidge what were you saying?” Shiro asked.

Pidge let out a small cough to voice her annoyance at being interrupted and adjusted her glasses again. “I was _saying_ that yes, Lotor is probably going to want to strike a deal with us but we need to figure out a way where we leave with both Lance _and_ the schematics.”

“But how? Lotor won’t play fair and he’ll probably hold Lance’s safety over us until we hand over the schematics,” Keith said.

Pidge nodded. “Probably, but we’ve been handling Lotor all wrong. We’ve been treating him like he’s Zarkon, when he’s not. Zarkon would always just fight back at us with military might like a cockfight or something. No strategy, really. Just a contest of ‘who has the strongest robot?’ Well, Lotor’s different. Lotor’s playing a game of chess and the reason he’s always been one step ahead of us is because he’s _thinking_ four moves ahead. That’s what we need to do, too.”

“Makes sense. What are you thinking, Pidge?” Shiro asked.

“Matt, do you trust Corina?” Pidge asked, turning to him.

Matt, once again surprised by being addressed, blinked at her. “Um, well, yeah. I haven’t had much contact with her, but the Director trusts her and I’d trust the Director with my life.”

“Do you think you could get a message to Corina within a couple vargas?”

“I can definitely get one to the Director, but it would be up to her if she’d be able to get the message to Corina or not. She usually can’t correspond right away.”

“Hm. It’ll have to do,” Pidge said, tapping her chin with her index finger.

“ _Pidge,_ what are we doing?” Keith asked.

Pidge, with a glint in her eye and her lips curled into a smug grin, only said, “we’re thinking four moves ahead.”

It didn’t take Pidge long to explain and set her plan into motion, as Matt went off to send his message and Allura opened a wormhole straight to Nalquod.

Nalquod was a large, blue planet filled with gorges and ravines that put the Grand Canyon to shame. Keith could tell by the formations that it used to be an oceanic planet and the lack of water made it felt like a ghost town. There were signs of eroded dwellings and infrastructure, but it was clear that the planet was now uninhabitable.

“Nalquod used to be such a lovely planet. So full of life and color and...and good company,” Coran said, his eyes distant and sad as they approached the planet’s surface. Allura put an arm on his shoulder and he gave her a small smile.

“Wish we could have seen it then,” Pidge said.

“Yes,” Coran agreed, “Me too. The Nalquodi were a friendly, trusting people, but adaptable and resilient warriors. It was only fitting that the Blue Lion was originally piloted by their king.”

 _Lance would’ve eaten this up_ , Keith thought, a sharp twinge hitting his chest.

They found the shrine on top of a low cliff and the head of the lion was just as blue as the planet’s soil. It was also surrounded by a particle barrier that matched the Blue Lion’s. It stood in such stark contrast to the dead terrain around it that it was impossible to look at anything else.

As they landed, Allura and Pidge volunteered to retrieve the schematics from the shrine while the others were free to do what they needed as they waited for signs of Lotor. Hunk offered to make food for Matt and Shiro and it was an offer they enthusiastically accepted.

“I think I’ll stay here on the Bridge in case anything happens while Pidge and Allura are retrieving the schematics. You should sleep, Keith. You look more exhausted than a grumphfhievel during the yoking season!” Coran said and Keith was sure it was true, despite not understanding the comparison. His head was heavy and his eyes were straining to stay open. It probably wasn’t a great sign that he wasn’t sure how long it had been since he slept.

Keith sighed. “Yeah, that’s...probably a good idea.”

“Go on, then,” Coran said with a warm smile. Keith nodded and headed to his room, the weight of his exhaustion hitting him with every step.

* * *

 

When he got to his room, he shucked off his armor, but didn’t bother to change out of the black bodysuit underneath. With a sun shining outside, Keith turned off the lights and closed the window on the south wall, steeping the room in a gentle darkness.

Keith sighed as he laid down on his bed and let the tension in his body melt for the first time in what felt like years. He grabbed his blanket and let it rest over his legs, then adjusted his pillow in a more comfortable position. He threw an arm over his eyes and found comfort in the light pressure there. He felt his lashes brush against his arm as he closed his eyes and his breath evened out into a steady, soothing rhythm. He’d only been in bed for a minute, but he was already fading fast into the abyss of slumber.

But then, a face flashed in his mind.

Lance’s face--haggard and thinner than usual, full of hard lines and edges instead of the playful grins and soft dimples. His eyes an all-encompassing purple mist instead of blue lakes surrounded by white sands.

 _Stop. Go to sleep,_ Keith begged himself. _You can’t help him if you’re exhausted._

 _You can’t help him at all,_ a second voice echoed.

_Stop it._

Then, a second face appeared behind his lids. Still Lance, but younger and in his Garrison issued uniform, looking down at some worksheet on his desk.

This was before Keith knew him, even knew his name really.

Because the thing was, Keith _had_ remembered Lance from the Garrison--just not right away, but he remembered him and the memories of his time there came flooding back to him like a hurricane inside his head.

 

_It was the first week of his very first year at the Garrison and he had already landed himself in detention. It wasn’t his fault that some third-year idiot found out that he was a foster kid and then proceeded to tell him, “yeah, I’d skip town too if my kid was as ugly as you.”_

_So, yeah. Keith punched him._

_And if he was being completely honest, he didn’t regret it. Even if it did mean he got a mark on his permanent record._

_It was there, in the empty classroom where he was serving detention, that he met Shiro. As in, Takashi_ Shiro _gane._

_He came in through the automatic doors with the midday sun glaring through the classroom windows, making him look like some sort of mythical God from a long-dead culture._

_Keith stared at him with wide eyes for several moments as Shiro gave him an easy, modest smile. Keith may not have been super up-to-date with pop culture, but if there was something he knew about, it was the top fighter pilots in the world and Takashi Shirogane? Takashi Shirogane put them all to shame and at only twenty-one-years-old too._

_And okay, maybe Keith kind of worshipped him. There wasn’t a kid in the pilot program who didn’t._

_“Hi. Keith, right?” he asked, walking over to a desk and pulling out a chair._

He knows my name, he knows my name, he knows my name, _his mind repeated, unable to form any other cohesive thought._

_Somehow, he was able to have enough sense to nod and Shiro’s smile only got wider._

_“Nice to meet you, Keith. I’m Takashi Shirogane, but you can call me ‘Shiro’,” he said, outstretching his right hand for Keith to shake._

_Still starstruck, Keith eyes widened as he looked from Shiro’s face to the hand he was offering. Slowly, Keith brought his hand, the one with bruises on the knuckles, to meet Shiro’s and gave it a shake._

_“Oh, good, firm handshake you got there, Keith,” Shiro said, still wearing a kind smile._

_Was he dreaming? Did the third-year he punched hit him back and give him a concussion?_

_“Uh, thanks.”_

_“You okay? You’re looking a little pale.”_

_“I’m fine.”_

_Shiro nodded and asked, “do you like the Garrison, so far?”_

_“Y-yeah. I’ve been wanting to go here for a long time.”_

_“I don’t doubt it. Your application scores in the simulator were the highest the school’s ever seen from an applicant before. You blew my score out of the water and they were pretty impressed with me too.”_

_Okay, yeah, Keith had to be dreaming. This conversation was way too good to be true. Just to make sure, Keith subtly pinched his wrist hard under the desk, but by some miracle, he was still in an abandoned classroom listening to Takashi Shirogane--_ Shiro _\--sing him praises._

_“I-uh, thanks.”_

_“No problem,” Shiro said, again with a kind smile. “I’ve actually been really wanting to meet you, Keith.”_

_“You have? Why?”_

_“Well, senior officers all help in the application process and when I saw yours, I thought we had a lot in common.”_

_“LIke what?” Keith asked, so genuinely curious he almost couldn’t bear waiting for the answer._

_“Well, we were both in the system, for one. That’s not exactly common here. A good 90% of our applicants come from well-off families who can afford tutors and flight classes. You must have worked really hard to get here,” Shiro said, still with the kindest smile Keith had seen directed at him in years._

_“I...um, yeah. I guess.”_

_“Then,” Shiro started, taking a deep breath, “since you worked so hard, you_ probably _shouldn’t be assaulting your fellow cadets, cadet.”_

_Keith felt the blood drain from his face as he realized Shiro was here to admonish him for his behavior. Keith had spent a total of two minutes with his idol and already he had disappointed him._

_“I-I’m sorry. He just said_ something _and I guess I just saw red and--”_

_Keith was interrupted by a heavy hand on his shoulder and another smile._

_“I get it, Keith. They told me what he said and, between you and me, he deserved it, but Keith, it’s not worth your future. You have so much potential to go far here. I’d hate to see you squander it because some spoiled rich kid got under your skin.”_

_Keith was speechless. He’d never--nobody had ever--_

_He couldn’t even think it without his eyes stinging._

_Shiro continued, “whenever you’re feeling angry or scared, just take a second to breathe. Remember why you’re here._ Patience yields focus.”

_“Patience yields focus?”_

_“Yeah, something my dad used to say a lot when he was getting frustrated with his work. It was one of the greatest things he ever gave to me,” Shiro said, his eyes and smile sad, “it really helped me when I was a cadet. Getting through flight school was...tough and I didn’t really have a support system, but when I was feeling off I just told myself ‘patience yields focus’ and it always helped.”_

_Shiro was looking out the window, a far-off memory dancing somewhere in front of him and all Keith could do was stare. In that moment, it clicked for Keith that Shiro actually, sincerely_ got it _._

_“Okay.”_

_“Okay?” Shiro asked, breaking out of his reverie and looking back at Keith._

_“Yeah. I’ll--I won’t hit anyone anymore. No matter what anyone says.”_

_Then, Shiro’s face broke into a bright, warm grin that crinkled his eyes._

_“I’m glad to hear it, Keith,” Shiro said, standing up. “You’re going to go far here. I know it.”_

_Keith looked up at him, blinking back tears that were really threatening to fall now. He didn’t know how to deal with meeting his hero and then having said hero_ believe _in him. It was...a lot to process._

_“Thank you,” Keith managed and though it was quiet, he hoped it conveyed even a fraction of how much gratitude he felt towards Shiro._

_“Of course,” Shiro replied and the look he gave Keith was too kind, too compassionate, so he had to look down at his desk. Then, Shiro slipped a business card on the desk. “Feel free to come to my office hours if you want to talk or if you’re having a hard time with some of the material, okay?”_

_Keith nodded, “okay.”_

_“Good. Well, I’ll see you soon, Keith. It was nice meeting you,” he said, clapping Keith on the back._

_Keith looked up, attempted a smile, and nodded. Shiro returned it and headed out of the classroom. He was gone as quickly as he came and Keith had to blink several times at the stinging in his eyes to keep his cheeks dry._

 

 _Taking Shiro up on his offer, Keith visited him during his office hours whenever he was able. Usually, when he would visit Shiro they’d just talk about classes and Shiro would give him pointers for the simulator that proved consistently useful. One day, he even showed Keith around the facilities where the_ actual _ships were stationed and let him sit in one of the pilot seats just so he could imagine being behind a fighter plane for real when he was Shiro’s age._

_His first year went pretty smoothly after that. He managed to stay out of trouble, keeping mostly to himself, and the other first-years didn’t bother him after rumors of his violent nature broke out._

_Which was fine. Sure, none of the kids his age would hold eye contact with him for more than three seconds, but whatever. He wasn’t here to make friends. He was here to become a fighter pilot and explore space, just like Shiro. If that meant he sat alone during meals, then so be it. Plus, friends would just be a distraction and his scores on the simulator were getting better every day._

_Then, near the end of the year, Keith talked to Lance for the first time._

_Well, it was more like_ Lance _talked at Keith for the first time._

_It was after another practical flying class where Keith had once again improved his score and he was excited to tell Shiro about it._

_He was the last one to leave the simulator deck and he was just about to turn the corner down the next hallway when a voice stopped him._

_“Hey, Keith!”_

_Surprised to hear his first name, Keith turned around to see some lanky cadet with dark skin and blue eyes staring at him. He was leaning against the wall with one foot propped against it and his arms crossed in what must have been a pose meant to make him look cool._

_“Uh, yeah?” Keith asked, unsure what this person could possibly want from him. Keith vaguely recognized the boy from his classes, but he hadn’t particularly stood out to him._

_The boy pushed himself off the wall and let his long arms fall to his sides, then marched right up to Keith with hands on his hips. He stared down Keith for several seconds, his face in a full, angry pout._

_Keith, so overwhelmed that someone other than an instructor was acknowledging him, was helpless to do anything but stare back._

_“I’ve seen you in the simulator,” the boy said, eyes narrowing, “and I admit, you’re pretty good, but don’t let it get to your head because I’m coming for your spot.”_

_“Uh, who exactly...are you?” Keith asked._

_That was the wrong response, however, as the boy let out an indignant squawk and glared daggers at Keith._

_“Dude, we have like, every class together,” the boy said, clearly offended by Keith’s sleight, but he recovered quickly as a grin bloomed onto his face, “well, whatever. You can just call me ‘the Tailor’ and your official rival.”_

_“Oh, uh, okay. Nice to meet you, Taylor,” Keith said, scratching the back of his neck. He wasn’t really sure what this guy wanted from him._

_“Wait, what? No, no. It’s not_ Taylor _. It’s_ the _Tailor. Y’know, because of how I thread the needle?”_

_Keith blinked at him._

_“In the_ simulator _,” the Tailor clarified._

_“Um, okay,” Keith said, horribly confused by the entire interaction, “is there...something you need?”_

_The Tailor let out an annoyed huff and slapped a hand to his face. “Just...nevermind. I’ll see you in class, dude.”_

_Then, the Tailor stomped past Keith and disappeared behind a corner before Keith could reply back with his own “see you in class.”_

 

_Keith forgot about their conversation almost as soon as it had happened, but he had caught himself recognizing the boy in his classes, or “McClain” as his instructors called him, which happened a lot because the guy had a serious problem focusing. He was always getting scolded for passing notes or whispering to a friend and Keith wondered how he ever got any work done at all. Though, to Keith’s surprise, he usually supplied the correct answer when called on. Keith guessed he must have been more serious about studying outside of class._

_Still, he didn’t spare McClain much of a thought. His scores were nowhere near Keith’s, not that he really cared. Keith only cared about getting better and staying snuggly in the top twenty-five of his year, which he easily had secured so far. He’d worry about McClain when he wasn’t fifty spots below him._

 

_Then, with the coming of their second year, the pressure to be the best was heavier than ever. At the end of the year, all of the second-year flight track students would have to take their flight school evaluation. The test sorted cadets into fighter class and cargo class for the remainder of their training, and only the students with the best simulation scores got into fighter class._

_It made for a competitive, sometimes hostile atmosphere, except for Keith, who had no real competition. Even the second place score was nowhere near his and Keith just kept getting better. He had his sights set on the all-time record, held by the one-and-only Takashi Shirogane and he was steadily gaining up on it._

_The instructors were thrilled._

_His classmates were not._

_In Keith’s first year, he kept to himself and his fellow cadets were content to leave him alone, but with his ever-climbing scores and his enthusiastic instructors, fading into the background was becoming difficult._

_Instructors would routinely commend Keith for his good work and, to his chagrin, used him as a good example in front of everybody. They did this so often that his classmates started to resent him it._

_It started small at first--just some annoyed looks in the cafeteria here and there, but as the year went on, the worse it got. He’d be walking down the hall and someone would come up from behind and give him a hard shoulder-shove or he’d enter a room and all conversation would stop, as if they had just been talking about him._

_Keith didn’t care that much. Really. It was just that being surrounded by people who hated your guts didn’t feel...great._

_Still, in times like these, Keith would tell himself ‘_ patience yields focus' _and practice in the simulator for another couple hours._

_Then, near the end of the year, Keith did it. He beat Shiro’s score--the highest the Garrison had ever seen. Keith would have been perfectly fine just keeping the knowledge of this to himself and to Shiro, but no, the Garrison had other plans. The Garrison thought it would be a good idea to make an announcement about it and tell the entire school._

_Just as Keith had predicted, it only increased the hostility aimed at him. He was being “bumped into” more often and no one seemed to be able to look him in the face. He even stumbled onto more than one conversation about how unlikable he was in general._

_The first time this happened, he had been on his way to the library to study for a chemistry test, when he heard his name from around the corner._

_“I’m so sick of hearing Iverson talk about Kogane, I’m seriously gonna jump out the window the next time he does,” said a male voice._

_Keith stopped in his tracks, then placed himself against the wall to listen. It was probably a bad idea, no, Keith_ knew _it was a bad idea, but he eavesdropped anyway._

 _“I’ll join you. Like, yeah, I get it--he’s good, but I’m so over them worshipping him. Plus, he’s so_ weird _,” said a female voice._

_“Yeah, wouldn’t be surprised if he was a total sociopath,” the male voice said. “He’s not even happy when the instructors go on about him. He just like, nods and sits back down.”_

_“And remember in first year? He_ punched _someone for like, no reason.”_

 _“Oh,_ yeah _. I forgot about that. I don’t think I’ve ever even seen him talk to anyone. He definitely doesn’t have any friends. I mean, that’s why he’s practicing in the simulator all the time--he’s got nothing better to do.”_

_“Seriously. Well, whatever. Let him have his top spot. There’s still twenty-four seats up for grabs and at least we have a social life. I’m over it,” the female voice said and something in Keith ran very cold, like ice crystals were invading his veins._

_“Same, honestly. You wanna grab dinner? I think it’s meatloaf night.”_

_“Ugh, again? But, yeah, I’m starving,” she said and then their voices started to fade away as they headed to the cafeteria._

_Keith couldn’t move. All he could do was lean against the wall and stare at the hard floor beneath him._

It’s fine. I don’t care. They’re just jealous and lashing out, like Shiro told you. It doesn’t matter, _he told himself, but his chest was heavy and when he was finally able to get to the library, he didn’t get anything done._

_The next day, he beat his highest score again and Iverson looked like he might cry. So did the rest of the class, but that was for a different reason._

_After the class, Keith walked out with a renewed sense of purpose. Who cared if some of his classmates were green with envy? In all honesty, they_ should _be._

_“Keith! Wait up!” a voice called as Keith made his way down the Garrison hallways. He stopped and turned around to see McClain running up to meet him._

_Keith’s brows furrowed in confusion as his eyes met McClain’s unflinching ones. Maybe McClain hadn’t gotten the memo that Keith was a “sociopath” yet._

_“Hey, man! I got a bone to pick with you,” McClain said, hands on his hips again and Keith felt himself frown._

_“Oh, yeah? And what is that?” Keith asked, a bite in his voice._

_Then, McClain pressed his index finger against Keith’s chest, “You’ve got a pretty big lead on everyone for that top spot, but don’t get comfy, hotshot! I’m coming for that spot, slowly, but surely.”_

_Keith, taken aback by the physical contact was staring at the finger at his chest, but he snapped himself out of it and looked up at McClain, who was much closer to him than Keith remembered._

_“Uh, are you in the second spot, or something?” Keith asked, lamely. At this, McClain’s eyes widened and he backed off, looking away as he crossed his arms over his chest._

_“N-not exactly,” he said, looking back at Keith with a renewed spark of determination in his eyes, “but I will be! And then I’m gonna kick your_ \-- _whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second. Are you wearing colored contact lenses?”_

_Keith blinked. “Uh, what? No, I-I don’t need glasses or anything.”_

_Lance narrowed his eyes at Keith’s answer and leaned his face forward to better observe Keith’s eyes._

_“So, what your eyes are just_ naturally _that color?”_

_“Yes?”_

_McClain’s increased proximity to Keith’s face had him feeling slightly feverish, but for the life of him, he couldn’t pull his gaze away from the dark blue of McClain’s irises._

_It was McClain who pulled away first, looking annoyed as he scratched his head and mumbled to himself, “Man, you even have cool eyes…”_

_“What?” Keith asked, but he heard it._

_“Nothing! Whatever, I just stopped to tell you I’m gonna be taking your spot and this is your official warning! I’ll see you in class.”_

_“See you in class,” Keith said and this time, McClain heard him before he walked away and offered a brief, smug smile._

_Keith, heading the opposite way, couldn’t remember when a small smile of his own had sneaked onto his face, but it stayed until he reached his dorm._

 

_He was able to see Shiro a few days later and when he came into the office, it felt as if it was the first time he’d been able to breathe in weeks. Shiro greeted him kindly, like he always did, and gestured for him to sit as he looked over some important looking documents. Keith sat in the uncomfortable office chair across from Shiro and watched him scribble away on the papers._

_With a brief flick of his eyes up at Keith, Shiro asked, “How are classes?”_

_“Fine.”_

_“Better than fine, from what I hear of it,” Shiro said, stopping his work to put his attention on Keith, “I heard the announcement. You actually beat my score, huh?”_

_Keith flashed him a confident smile, “told you I would.”_

_“I’m really proud of you Keith. That’s_ amazing _. I was in my fourth year when I made that score. They’re gonna be looking at you for squad leader right out of fourth year if you keep this up.”_

_“Thanks, Shiro. That...means a lot.”_

_“Well, it’s a testament to all your hard work.”_

_They fell back into an easy silence that was comfortable between them. After two years of weekly visits, Keith had found himself able to relax around Shiro. He wasn’t like the other instructors, who treated him like some trophy they could parade around and he wasn’t like the other cadets, who treated him like some rich prince in a high tower. Shiro was the only one who treated him like a_ person _with thoughts and feelings. To everyone else, he was his scores on the simulator, but Shiro saw more in him than that and Keith didn’t know what he’d do without that support._

_“So, are you making any friends?” Shiro asked and Keith groaned. “What?”_

_“Ugh, Shiro, do you even_ remember _second year? Everyone wants me dead.”_

_“That bad, huh?” Shiro said, an amused lilt in his voice._

_“I mean, my entire class won’t even look at me, let alone_ talk _to me. Well, except for this one guy.”_

_“Oh, yeah? Who’s this one guy?” Shiro asked, eyes brightening with interest._

_“No, it’s not like that. He’s not friend material. He came up to me to tell me to watch out because he was going to take my spot. The guy hates my guts.”_

_Shiro shrugged._

_“They say the opposite of love is indifference, so if this guy does hate you, maybe you have a better chance of being friends with him than the others,” Shiro said, tapping his pen against his lips._

_“What? No, that’s crazy.”_

_Shiro shrugged, “well, have you ever tried talking to him? There’s no real reason to come and tell you that he’s going to take your spot. Maybe he just wanted a chance to engage with you?”_

_“You’re reading way too much into it,” Keith said, but there was certainly a part of him that wished what Shiro was saying was true. McClain had gone up and spoken to him on two separate accounts--he’d told Keith he’d see him in class, he even complimented Keith’s eyes._

_McClain seemed to get along well with everybody, too. Whenever Keith saw him in the cafeteria he was always laughing and talking loudly about something or other with a big group of people. He was just the kind of person who attracted others, like a planet that caught several moons in its orbit. It was something Keith briefly found himself being jealous of while he sat at a table by himself and poked at his mashed potatoes._

_So, maybe, if McClain_ was _a social person, he also wouldn’t mind being friends with Keith?_

_“Maybe,” Shiro said, breaking Keith out of his reverie, “but it’s worth a shot, right?”_

_“I guess,” Keith agreed._

_“Good. I think it would be good for you to make some friends.”_

_“Why? You’re my friend,” Keith said and as soon as it slipped from his mouth he realized_ _how pathetic it sounded. Shiro sighed and gave him a small smile._

_“I am, Keith, but I’m also going to be leaving soon.”_

_Keith felt his face fall and the muscles in his jaw tightened suddenly._

_“You’re leaving?”_

_Shiro nodded. “To Kerberos. I’m going on a research mission with Commander Holt to get some samples.”_

_“Oh, well...congrats, Shiro. I mean, that’s huge. That’s what you’ve always wanted, right? To go out really far, I mean,” Keith said, trying to be supportive and Shiro’s smile grew._

_“Yeah, and I’ll be going with one of my best friends. I’m really looking forward to it.”_

_“How long of a mission is it?”_

_“It takes about three months to get there, then we’ll be working on the planet for a couple months, so about eight months total,” Shiro said and Keith’s stomach dropped. Eight months was a long time without your best (and only) friend._

_“Oh.”_

_“It’ll go fast,” Shiro said, gently, “You’ll be so caught up with your fighter class simulations that you’ll forget all about me.”_

_Keith scoffed, “I haven’t been accepted into fighter class yet.”_

_“Yeah, but we both know you will,” Shiro said and Keith found himself smiling._

_“Okay, but who am I going to complain to about my engineer and communications officer?”_

_“Aw, c’mon, Keith. Your crew is like your family in third and fourth year. You’ll be friends before you know it. Matt was my communications officer and we’re still best friends. It’s way more fun than first and second year.”_

_Keith sighed, “remember when I told you everyone hates me?”_

_“They don’t hate you, they just haven’t gotten a chance to know you.”_

_“Yeah, yeah.”_

_“I’m serious, Keith. You can be pretty guarded most of the time. It makes you a little hard to approach, but once people see the kind of person you are, they’ll hop on board.”_

_“It’s just...hard,” Keith admitted._

_“I know, but talking to people is as much of a skill as anything else. If you want to be better at it, you have to practice.”_

_Keith studied Shiro’s face for a long moment and tried to find a way to argue, but couldn’t. Shiro was right, like always._

_“Okay. I’ll try talking to people more, I guess.”_

_Shiro sent him a beaming smile this time. “Knew I could wear you down. You should try talking to the guy who said he was going to take your spot. You’ve already talked to him a bit, so it should be easier.”_

_“We’ll see,” Keith said, shrugging._

 

 _As flight class evaluations were approaching, Keith quickly abandoned the idea of making friends. The entirety of the second year flight track was a mess of stressed-out teenagers fretting over their evaluations, which looked at both their academic standing and simulator scores, and no one was in a very_ friendly _mood._

_While everyone else seemed to be on the edge of a breakdown, Keith couldn’t bring himself to worry about evaluations very much. He had high grades in all of his classes and no one was even close to him when it came to the simulator. He was all but assured a spot and Keith knew it. The anxious atmosphere in the second-year halls was palpable though, and it was affecting everyone._

_That included McClain, whose blue eyes were accented by dark circles and mouth was without its usual, sly grin. In every class, he paid special attention and took notes like his life depended on it. Keith even saw him stay after class and talk to the instructors for extra help._

Guess he’s serious about being fighter pilot _, Keith thought in passing._

 

_Shiro left for Kerberos the week before evaluations. Keith sent him off with a smile, but secretly lamented that he couldn’t come to Shiro’s office to celebrate the evaluation results. Shiro probably suspected how Keith was feeling because he clapped Keith on the back and said, “It’s a little early, but congrats on getting into fighter class.”_

_“_ Shiro _, you’re going to jinx me.”_

_“Don’t worry, not even a jinx could put you in cargo class.”_

 

_And he was right. The next week, Keith had his evaluation and crushed it, getting one of his highest scores on the simulator ever. While his classmates fretted around him as they waited for the results, Keith just missed Shiro and having someone to talk about his day with._

_Without the anchor that was his visits to Shiro’s office, the days all seemed to blend together and a heavy sadness settled into Keith’s chest. He went days without speaking to anyone and he spent all his time training, practicing in the simulator, or studying in the library._

_He was so out of touch with the passing of days, that when he actually saw the results of the evaluations, they’d already been posted for two days._

_When he saw them posted on the bulletin board outside of the second-year lounge, he glanced up at the very top, saw his name, and kept walking._

 

_A few days late, Keith found a rare opportunity to talk to McClain in their practical arm’s training class. Usually, arm’s training required all of Keith’s attention since it was his worst subject, but the class that day ended up just being a couple hours of target practice, so Keith let himself watch the other students shoot. Target practice only allowed five students to go at once, so it grew dull waiting for your turn and Keith would normally pull out some flashcards and study while he waited for his turn._

_Class was nearing its end as the last set of five took their positions behind the firing line. McClain was part of this group and Keith watched him as he readied his weapon. The instructor let out the call that allowed them to begin and they were off in a din of gunfire._

_And Keith was stunned._

_Because McClain was good--_ really _good. He was better than Keith was and that wasn’t something Keith found himself thinking about others often._

_McClain found and hit the center of his targets easily, and then with smooth, conservative motions, he’d move on to the next one. There were six targets set up for each lane and McClain had taken them all out before anyone else had finished._

_Once the others caught up, the instructors reset the targets and let them go again, and once again, McClain left them in the dust, finishing far faster than anyone else._

_Keith was...impressed, to say the least. He never really watched the others during target practice as it just didn’t interest him to see how they were doing, but now he couldn’t look away. Had McClain always been this good? Did he come to practice a lot or was he naturally this proficient?_

_After the last round, the class ended and Keith found himself seriously considering talking to McClain. Evaluations were over, classes were winding down for the summer, and Keith actually had something to say. He figured he’d never get as good of a chance as this one._

_As the rest of the class filed out of the indoor shooting range, Keith approached McClain, his heart beating harder than he thought necessary for a simple conversation. He took a deep breath._

_“Uh, hey,” he started and McClain stopped, but didn’t turn to face him, “you’re, uh-you’re a good shot.”_

_Keith waited for McClain to turn, to face him, but he never did. He expected him to boast and tell Keith how he was the superior one when it came to arm’s training, but McClain did nothing of the sort. Instead, his shoulders sagged and one of his hands balled into a fist._

_“Thanks,” he said, but it didn’t sound at all like the voice Keith remembered. It was defeated and void of the brightness that Keith had come to associate with McClain in his limited interactions with him._

_And then he walked away, not once looking at Keith._

_Sour disappointment formed in Keith’s chest and dropped to his stomach. He hadn’t expected for them to suddenly become best friends or anything, but he didn’t expect...whatever_ that _was._

 

_It wasn’t until a couple hours later, when Keith walked past the second-year’s lounge, that he realized what could have cause McClain’s cold shoulder. He went to the bulletin board with the evaluation results and looked for McClain’s name. Then, he found it..._

 

26\. McClain, Lance

 

Oh, _Keith thought, realizing now that he and McClain were never going to be friends, and he was just going to have to deal with it._

 _Shiro’s voice echoed in his mind, ‘_ Aw, c’mon, Keith. Your crew is like your family in third and fourth year. You’ll be friends before you know it.'

_It was fine. He’d try and make friends with his engineer and communications officer once he met them. It wasn’t a big deal._

 

_And it wasn’t. The school year quickly ended and most of the cadets went back home for the summer, while Keith stayed at the Garrison. Last summer, Shiro was still around and they would hang out when Shiro was off of work. They’d eat meals together, chat over his breaks, and Shiro would even help Keith train in hand-to-hand combat._

_This summer was nothing like that and it made Keith realize how much he missed Shiro. Shiro had become such a big part of his life and Keith hated that he was gone more than he liked to admit. It just meant that Keith was alone again, but he was used to it--it wasn’t that much different than the school year had been._

_Still, the sweltering summer days dragged by slowly, but Keith tried to fill his time with training, studying, and the occasional novel. The simulators were never crowded so he could practice all he wanted and the commissary attendants let him have as much dessert as he wanted during meals. It wasn’t that bad._

 

_Third year brought a new wave of excitement through his class, especially those who were now designated as fighter pilots. The halls seemed to reverberate with the fresh energy that a new school year always brought and it planted a seed of optimism in Keith. A new school year meant a new beginning. Shiro had said that talking to people required hard work, just like any other skill and Keith was a hard worker. He could do this, even if he was out of his element._

_So, when he met Alex and Chloe, his engineer and communications officer, he thought that it would be a good opportunity to get some practice in. They were both nice and they looked him in the eyes when they spoke to him. Plus, they actually seemed excited to work with him since the school had boasted his piloting prowess._

_Unfortunately, being a fighter pilot came with leadership responsibilities that took Keith by surprise. Before, all of the simulators had only recreated_ flight _scenarios that never took the status of the ship or communications with other ships into account. It required_ teamwork _and that? That wasn’t something Keith was great at._

_“Alex! You have to fix the hydraulic stabilizer!” Keith said, growling in frustration._

_“I can’t just_ fix _it, we’re in the air!”_

_“Well, figure something out! I can’t handle this thing if it won’t fly straight.”_

_“Kogane, I am so sick of your mouth-”_

_“Both of you, knock it off! I’m getting a distress signal,” Chloe said, her voice at a dangerous level of annoyance._

_Keith was too busy being frustrated that he couldn’t fly properly that he didn’t really care about appeasing her. “Then, answer it!”_

 

_Needless to say, they crashed the simulator and even more needless to say, Alex and Chloe didn’t want to be Keith’s friend. Which was fine. He’d just work with Alex and Chloe when he needed to and focus on his piloting, then, once Shiro was back, he could ask him for some pointers on leading a crew. He’d be back in four more months and he’d help Keith work through this, and it would be fine._

_In four months, Keith was going to see Shiro again and he’d have his friend back. The awful, lonely feeling he felt every night when he went back to his dorm would go away and he’d be fine. It was all going to be fine._

 

_But then, Shiro died._

 

_And none of it was fine._

 

_Keith doubted anything was ever going to be fine again._

 

_The entirety of the Garrison was in mourning because even if most of them didn’t know Shiro, they knew of him. The flight track students were especially quiet over the next coming weeks, all regretting the loss of an idol they looked up to._

_But Keith didn’t lose an idol. He lost the closest thing he’d had to a family since he was eight-years-old. He lost a brother._

_And he was just so tired of losing family._

_Keith just stopped caring after that. His grades were slipping, he snapped at teachers, and he didn’t hesitate to flash terrifying glares at his gossiping classmates when he heard them whispering about him. He would skip classes, opting to stay in his bed for hours at a time, and when he did go to class, he was so hostile and insubordinate that he was sent to the Principal's office on most days._

_He didn’t bother to wash his uniform and went days without showers. He felt the eyes of the other students on him as he walked to class, boring into him. He skipped meals and lost weight._

_He was a wreck and he knew it. So did everyone else._

_Iverson tried to get him into counseling as he recognized that he was grieving, but Keith wouldn’t go. He didn’t want to feel better. Shiro didn’t get to feel less dead, so why should Keith?_

_He couldn’t bring himself to cry, however. He was too angry to cry. He took Shiro’s death personally--why was he not allowed one person to feel close to? What was the logic in it? Surely, it couldn’t have been dumb luck that this kept happening to him._

_So, Keith was angry. He was angry at every single person who pretended to be sad about Shiro, but didn’t know him. He was angry at the universe and he was angry at himself. Maybe, if Keith hadn’t come into Shiro’s life and cursed him, maybe he’d still be alive. Maybe the Kerberos mission would have gone fine._

_Keith wasn’t sure how many weeks went by before Iverson finally gave him a warning to get his act together._

_“I know you miss him, cadet, but he wouldn’t want this for you. You’re a good pilot, cadet. Maybe the best I’ve ever seen, but I ain’t got time for soldiers who don’t salute to their superior officers. You shape up or I’m shipping you out.”_

_Keith saluted and murmured “sir” to appease him, but it was only a matter of time._

_Not much longer after that, he was called out once again by a bright voice as he was walking back to his dorm after storming out of an arms training class he was sick of._

_“Keith!”_

Don’t turn around. Don’t even bother _, he told himself, but he stopped in his tracks and turned to face the voice, despite himself._

_In truth, Keith had forgotten that McClain even existed at that point, but there he was, staring at Keith like he had another bone to pick with him. Keith felt his jaw tighten at the sight of McClain’s blue, glaring eyes staring daggers at him._

_“What do you want?” Keith asked, not caring that he sounded short._

_“Whoa, dude. Slow your roll,” Lance started with his hands up in defense, “I just came to tell you that you need to get your act together, man. You’re slipping.”_

_Keith scowled, “and why do you care?”_

_“Hey, don’t get the wrong idea. I_ don’t _. I just need to know if I need to find a new rival. One who’s more up to snuff.”_

_“That’s rich coming from you, cargo pilot,” Keith said and he knew it was wrong, knew he could never take it back. But he didn’t care. He just didn’t care._

_But then McClain’s face flashed into such a wounded expression, that Keith almost did care. He almost wanted to apologize, to explain that he couldn’t help but destroy everything around him because he was steeped in his own harrowing grief. Almost._

_McClain’s expression then quickly transformed into a tight-knit glare that could spoil milk._

_“Well,_ you’re _a self-absorbed loner, so whatever man. I don’t care anymore!” McClain said, turning heel and stomping off down the hallway._

 _Keith watched him go, too empty and broken to even feel regret, and thought,_ Loner? Yeah, that sounds about right.

 

_A week later, he called Iverson a name that would be considered “insubordinate” to most circles and he was kicked out of the Galaxy Garrison._

 

_It didn’t hit him until he was escorted off the premises with nothing but a small box of belongings and the shirt (and jacket) on his back that he had nowhere to go. He had no family, no friends, and no home._

_So, with nothing better to do, Keith roamed the desert for hours, looking for something, but not really sure what he was looking for. He could have gone into Sedona, maybe found work at a diner somewhere part time or something, but he was drawn to the desert. It was like something was calling him._

_Eventually, he found an abandoned shack with a broken down hoverbike outside of it, like the universe had gift wrapped it for him._

_He spent the rest of the day cleaning up and organizing the shack to make it livable. He even found blueprints to the hoverbike outside._

I can make this work _, he thought as he looked at the modest little shack that was now his home._

_It wasn’t until late at night when he finally got a chance to lay down on the couch to go to sleep, with the desert winds whistling through the rock formations and moonlight flooding in through the windows, that it hit him._

_He lost everything._

Everything.

_The Garrison was his way out of this life, to really make something of himself, and he gave it all up. A bitter, crushing wave of regret hit him so hard that it was difficult to breathe._

Shiro would be so disappointed in me _, he realized and his heart broke. He thought his heart was as broken as it could get after Shiro died, but apparently, there were still pieces left to shatter._

_What would become of him now?_

_Then, finally, something was set off in Keith and his eyes filled with water. As tears slid down the skin below his temples, he choked out a sob and couldn’t stop. He hadn’t cried since he first met Shiro two years ago and now, when his body and soul was just too tired to hold them back anymore, he couldn’t turn it off._

_So, he cried and cried, quiet little sobs that joined the chorus of crickets outside of the shack until he was too tired to cry anymore and fell asleep._

_That night, he dreamed of the stars and blue lions._

 

_Keith fixed up his shack, tuned up the red hoverbike, stole food from town, and investigated the weird energy that kept pulling him to the desert like a fish on a hook._

_He became obsessed and it was suddenly his new passion, his new reason for living. He had no clue what he would do once he found what he was looking for, but he didn’t dare look that far ahead. He pushed everything else out of his mind. He didn’t think of Shiro, didn’t think of the Garrison or any of the people there. He only combed the desert, researched the area, triangulated coordinates, and did absolutely everything he could to find the source of the energy._

_When he found the cave, he only grew more obsessed in his search. He spent hours interpreting the meanings of the ancient cave markings that had something to do with a blue lion and something felt_ so right _about it. It was like he was doing what he was truly meant to do and he couldn’t stop working on it._

_He filled countless notebooks with his notes, made an evidence wall in his living room so he could get a visual perspective, and somewhere along the way, he finally cracked a code. It took him months and he’d go days without making any headway, but he kept going until he figured out a date. A date when an “arrival” was coming to Earth, somewhere nearby and it would not be benevolent._

_He prepared himself. He found a book on explosives and made little ones that were good for distractions. He trained and ran martial arts drills every day to keep himself limber. He kept working on the hoverbike until it was in the best condition it could be._

_He was absolutely relentless._

_When the day of the arrival came, Keith was a bundle of nerves and he couldn’t sit still for more than a couple seconds at a time. He paced outside his shack, trying to shake off all the pent-up energy inside of him. Everything that he had been working towards in the past ten months had been leading up to that day, and he didn’t know how to deal with that._

_There was a very real possibility that he was wrong, that every single moment spent researching and excavating these ten months meant absolutely nothing. He didn’t quite believe that as something deep in his gut_ knew _that he was right, but he couldn’t help but second guess himself._

_He filled his bag with explosives, checked the fuel in his hoverbike eight times, and kept a pair of binoculars in his hands at all times to watch the sky. The day seemed unending as Keith was flooded by sharp waves of anticipation that came and went until the late evening. It was replaced by bouts of hopelessness that fell on him like cold water; the day would be over soon and Keith hadn’t seen a single thing out of the ordinary._

_Then, Keith saw something in the sky. It was small at first, just a small dot of glowing orange, but it was there and getting bigger every second. Keith’s heart leapt into his throat as he realized this was_ it _, that the cave markings were telling him the truth. He gently grabbed his bag and got onto his hoverbike, ready to chase down the falling object._

 _The orange spot was streaking across the sky and Keith followed its trajectory as it got closer to Earth. It was becoming more apparent with every second that the object was some sort of ship or vessel and Keith was_ going _to be there when it landed._

_Keith chased it until it eventually did crash and as he got closer, he started to realize how close he was to the Garrison, which was bad news. For a lot of reasons._

_The most pressing reason was that they were going to investigate immediately, which would make it much more difficult for Keith to get anywhere near the ship._

_Lo-and-behold, when Keith found the crash site, Garrison guards were already setting up a mobile quarantine zone near the ship while others were inspecting it. Then, they pulled what looked to be a body out of the ship and Keith could feel his adrenaline spike. He had planted himself a good, long distance from the crash site, so he used his binoculars to get a better look, but the guards were blocking most of the body from his line of sight._

_Without so much as a second thought, Keith revved up his hoverbike again and headed  north of the crash site. Carefully, he planted four explosives along a line far enough from the site that the Garrison tanks would have to be used to get to them. Keith flew out of the blast zone and when he was close enough to the south end of the crash site, he pressed hard on the detonator._

_As the bombs went up in a spectacular, fiery display, Keith smirked and raised the maroon handkerchief on his neck over his mouth. He landed just outside of the quarantine tent and jumped off of his hoverbike as soon as it was low enough to the ground. Watching for guards, he crept quickly to the entrance of the tent and as the automatic doors opened, Keith braced himself for a fight._

_There were three med techs inside and a body on a gurney. On a bad day, Keith was a fearsome opponent, but when he was fighting for the culmination of ten months hard work and blind faith? He was unstoppable and the med techs never stood a chance._

_As soon as Keith had successfully knocked out the last med tech, he jumped over him to get to the body on the gurney with his heart pumping wildly._

_Quickly, he went to the man and gently turned his head his face him to find--_

_“Shiro?”_

_Shiro. Shiro was here. Shiro was_ alive _. Shiro was the arrival._

_Keith felt his eyes widen as complete and utter joy filled in his chest. How was this even possible?_

Later _, he told himself as he quickly cut off Shiro’s restraints and hoisted him off of the gurney._

 _“Nope! No you--no, no, no. No, you don’t._ I’m _saving Shiro!”_

_Keith’s head snapped up to see a...vaguely familiar-looking guy approach him with an angry determination and two friends behind him. He contemplated taking him out like the med techs, but he said he had wanted to save Shiro, so Keith held off._

_“Who are you?” Keith asked, trying to place him. His mind was so fuzzy with thoughts of Shiro being alive, he couldn’t wrap his brain around this person and his two friends._

_“Who am I? Uh, the name’s Lance,” the boy said, blinking at Keith after throwing Shiro’s free arm around his neck, “We were in the same class at the Garrison.”_

_Keith looked at him and okay, yes he seemed_ very _familiar, but they didn’t really have time for this because the Garrison guards were going to realize the bombs were just a distraction in any second._

_“Really? Are you an engineer?” Keith asked, giving it his best guess in hopes to appease him, but Keith always did have terrible tunnel vision. When he was set on something, that’s all he could really think about._

_“No, I’m a pilot! We were like, rivals. You know, ‘Lance and Keith, neck and neck.’”_

_They_ really _didn’t have time for this and for the life of him, Keith couldn’t think of a pilot named Lance and--_

_Oh._

Oooh.

 _In Keith’s defense, he had never seen McClain, or_ Lance _, in civilian clothes and he barely even knew his name was_ Lance _to begin with because they had only talked to each other a handful of times. Plus, Keith was a little disoriented by Shiro crash landing on Earth from an alien ship and he got_ tunnel vision _, okay?_

_“Oh, wait. I remember you. You’re a cargo pilot,” Keith said, because apparently, he was incapable of not rubbing that in Lance’s face._

_“Well, not anymore. I’m fighter class now, thanks to you washing out,” Lance said and yeah, Keith deserved that._

_He started walking because it was_ time to go _and offered Lance his congratulations as they carried Shiro out of the small hospital together._

 

Keith pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes and let out a small, frustrated moan. Why was all of this coming back to him now? He needed to sleep. He was exhausted, falling asleep should have been so easy.

Though, when it came to Lance, nothing was ever easy.

It was weird, thinking about how...disconnected they were back then. Lance was just always so mad at him that Keith didn’t really know what to do, but match his anger. He never had a reason to hate Lance, so he didn’t, but with Lance being so antagonistic and competitive all the time, Keith couldn’t help but take the bait.

And then, the “bonding moment” happened and...well, Keith didn’t know what it was, but something _changed_. Something changed for Keith, at least. Lance had forgotten all about it after coming out of the Cryopod, but Keith remembered. How could he not?

People didn’t...say things like that to him. They didn’t look him in the eyes and speak to him like they were glad he existed, like he was an equal.

 _Well, Shiro did,_ Keith thought, but coming from Lance made it so different and in ways Keith couldn’t describe. Either way, it was a rare occurrence, so he took it to heart and he took it to heart when Lance forgot.

Even if Lance didn’t remember, the bad blood between them had been slowly fading and at some point, Keith felt like they were real friends. He wasn’t sure if Lance felt the same, but then the memory of Lance shooting down a projectile heading Keith’s way and declaring “I got ya, buddy!” flooded his mind. That meant something, right?

Keith moved his hand to lightly scratch at the part of his chest that was over his heart--a subconscious reaction to the sudden way it was beating just a little bit faster than before. He’d never fall asleep like this.

He tried again anyway, his eyelids fluttering closed as he concentrated on taking deep, rhythmic breaths. Still, his mind stubbornly focused on Lance and how much danger he was in.

 _Don’t think about it, don’t think about it, don’t think about it,_ he told himself as he felt a tugging in his chest that didn’t want to go away.

Mercifully, Keith heard a small, tentative knock on his door and he sat up on his bed as he answered, “come in.”

The automatic doors slid open and revealed Shiro, wearing his casual clothes and a gentle smile. He walked into the dim room and sat at the foot of Keith’s bed.

“I was kind of hoping you wouldn’t answer. When was the last time you slept?”

“It’s...been awhile. I can’t sleep,” Keith admitted.

“Why?” Shiro asked and Keith sighed.

“Just thinking about stuff, I guess.”

Shiro hummed and asked, “are you worried about Lance?”

Keith was then very grateful the light in the room was low as blood came sneaking up to his face.

“We’re all worried about Lance.”

“I know, but I’m asking _you_.”

“Yes, Shiro. _Of course_ , I’m worried about Lance. I’m worried this plan won’t work. I’m worried Lotor won’t even bother to show up. It’s just...what if we really lost our only chance to get him back?”

Shiro placed a steadying hand on Keith’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I get it, Keith. I do, but I trust Pidge and I trust the plan. I know it seems like a hopeless situation, but we’ve still got a fighting chance left to get Lance back. It’s not over by any means.”

“Yeah,” Keith said softly as his eyes trained on the floor, “you’re right.”

Shiro took back his hand and for several moments, they sat in a comfortable silence until Shiro broke it once again.

“I’m really proud of you, you know. You really stepped up while I was gone.”

Keith looked up at Shiro, his eyes widening, before gazing back down at the floor once again, guilt settling in his stomach like a heavy stone.

“You shouldn’t be proud. I haven’t gotten a chance to tell you, but I’m the reason Lance got captured. I left him by himself with no backup and played right into Lotor’s trap,” Keith said, voice cracking, but a small weight lifting off his shoulders at the confession.

“That’s not how Hunk tells it.”

“Hunk is--”

“ _Hunk_ said that Lance asked you to let him stay behind. Was it the right call? No, but that’s part of being a leader. You’re not going to make the right calls every single time. You can’t. You trusted your teammate, Keith. You couldn’t have known it was a setup. This wasn’t your fault and it wasn’t Lance’s fault. Lotor’s the only one to blame here.”

Keith wanted to believe what Shiro was saying was true. He really did, but visions of Lance under Lotor’s control swam in his mind and all he could think of was how he could have prevented it.

“It was my call, Shiro.”

“Yeah, it was and you made the wrong one, but that doesn’t mean you’re doing a bad job or that I’m any less proud of you,” Shiro said, smiling again.

“ _Why?_ ”

“Keith, you should see how far you’ve come. Back when we were at the Garrison, you couldn’t even speak to anyone your age,” Shiro said, his eyes looking off at the memory, ”There was a time where you thought the best course of action was to leave Allura behind, but you wouldn’t make that choice now. You’re doing absolutely everything you can to keep your team--your _friends_ \--safe and I’ll _always_ be proud of you for that.”

With warmth filling his chest and a smile creeping on his face, Keith silently thanked the stars that Shiro was back with them, safe and sound. How did he even survive these months without him?

“Thanks, Shiro.”

“Anytime,” Shiro said, standing up. “Now, get some sleep. You look like death.”

Keith scoffed and Shiro took that as his cue to leave. When the doors closed behind Shiro, Keith laid back down on his bed and let his eyes shut once more.

And thankfully, he was asleep before his wandering mind could stop him.

* * *

 

Acxa was in the kitchens, getting food for the first time in what was probably quintents. She wasn’t really sure; being one of Prince Lotor’s generals had a way of twisting the vargas until time measurements meant nothing.  

The military-issued food the ship provided was nothing very palatable, but Acxa couldn’t help but savor every bite. She didn’t even realize how starving she was until she took the first spoonful in her mouth.

Acxa sighed after taking a couple more bites, thoroughly enjoying the meal when her mind started to wander back to her mission. A heavy sense of dread filled her like liquid lead as she remembered the disastrous events that occured on the Dalterion Belt’s capital. The Paladins should have taken back the Red Paladin _and_ the schematic he had acquired, but they hadn’t been able to obtain either.

 _I gift wrapped him for them! I couldn’t have given them a bigger advantage,_ she thought, jaw clenching. It was likely that the Paladins would at least get the final schematics, but Acxa worried about the safety of the Red Paladin. Lotor had a plan to get the final schematic that would surely involve Lance and she wouldn’t be able to protect him.

She wasn’t really sure if it mattered much, though. If Shiro was back with the Paladins, then they should have enough soldiers to man Voltron and that was what was most important. If it came down to it, the galaxy could survive without one human boy. The galaxy could not, however, survive without Voltron.

It was in this small moment of reflection that Acxa felt a slight vibration on the inside of her wrist. Her eyes widened at the gentle buzzing and she resisted the urge to wrap her hand around her wrist.

The small vibration meant that she had received a message from the Director that required immediate attention. Acxa didn’t trust the kitchens to be a safe place to read the message so she quickly cleaned up her place settings and went to her quarters.

When she was safely in her room, she checked and double checked that no one was near before she opened the panel over her wrist. The panel held a coin-sized communication device that Matt Holt had designed. It was only good for relaying text messages, but it had served Acxa well in her many phoebes undercover.

With a light squeeze on the side of the device, a mini green holo-screen emitted from the front, displaying the message from the Director. It was written in a code that only Acxa and the Director were privy to as a precaution, but regardless, Acxa shivered at the thought of Lotor ever discovering them.

It wasn’t a very long message, though they never were, but by the end of it, Acxa was staring at it with a slack-jawed expression. Of all things, she hadn’t expected _this_.

She was a whirlwind of contradictory emotions as she absorbed the implications of the message. On one hand, she was terrified, because this could rob her of her life and on the other, she felt immensely relieved.

Still, she didn’t hesitate to reply and agree to the Director’s request. Once her message was sent, she realized that her hands were shaking from the shock of the news. Acxa couldn’t quite believe it.

Her mission was, finally, coming to an end.

* * *

 

It took every ounce of Lance’s self-control to wait until Narti and Zethrid had left the cell block before he began ripping off his chest plates and throwing them against the wall.

We were so _close_.

He unclasped the armor plate on his left arm and threw it as well and it made a satisfying clacking sound when it made contact.

After everything, Lance was too frustrated, too angry to even cry about it. He just wanted to throw and break things until he calmed down, or _run_ \--man, he’d do anything to just run in a wide open space for ten minutes. He supposed he could run the length of the cell, but it was too small to recreate that free feeling a good run gave him, which, Lance guessed, was probably the whole point of a cell--to make you feel _not_ free.

He grabbed his other gauntlet and threw that one too, barely getting any satisfaction from its clatter this time. Lance wasn’t really the type to smash things when he got angry; normally, he was the type to blow off some steam by running or swimming, but that wasn’t an option now, so he had to make due. He just wished he had _room_. Lance had always hated the cell, but it was absolutely suffocating after freedom had grazed his fingertips and then was cruelly snatched out of his grasp.

They were just _so_ close.

What made everything worse was that it didn’t make any _sense._ No matter how many times Lance turned it over in his head, he just couldn’t understand _why_ Shiro would tackle Keith. Was there a reason Shiro wouldn’t want to break Lance out of the spell? But why? They were on the same team; Shiro should have been helping Keith.

And Keith…

Lance’s right hand subconsciously went to his left wrist. He massaged the tender flesh of his wrist’s underside with the pad of his thumb and felt the dull pain of a bruise starting there. The memory of the warmth and pressure of Keith’s hands on his wrists was fresh in Lance’s mind and for some reason, brushing the area where Keith’s hands had dug into him was oddly calming. It was almost like a messed-up reassurance that the team was doing everything they could to get him back.  

The motion brought back the memory of Keith hovering over him, his brow furrowed in sharp angles that contrasted with the soft worry gleaming in his violet eyes, as he tried to talk Lance out of the spell.

And it was _working._ Lance felt the death grip of Lotor’s spell losing its strength, he felt his limbs respond to him, felt the purple haze start to clear and see Keith in real color. If Shiro had just waited one more minute, he could have broken through, he was sure of it.

Lance, wrist still in his hand, found himself sitting on his concrete slab.

Lance couldn’t help but feel a little shocked by how much Keith seemed to want him back, going so far as to pin him. Lance felt a blush coming on as he remembered the somewhat awkward position Keith had put them in, but he waved it off, understanding that it was probably the best way to keep him still.

It was hard to imagine that _Keith_ , of all people, would be someone who showed interest in his well-being when he basically didn’t exist to the guy until Lance became a Paladin of Voltron.

He was surprised Keith even had the ability to care about someone other than Shiro, since he had been in almost every one of Lance’s classes for two straight years and Keith still couldn’t name him in a line-up. It wasn’t for lack of trying on Lance’s part, that was for sure. Lance spent a better part of those two years just trying to get Keith to _acknowledge_ him.

 

_The first time Lance ever saw him, it was just after Keith had come out of the flight simulator on their very first practical flying class._

_And Lance was...well, Lance was in_ awe _because holy crow could that kid fly! And they had barely taught them anything yet._

_But then the guy actually stepped out of the simulator and showed his face._

_And okay, maybe Lance was a little starstruck because this kid looked like the hero out of one of those awesome, sci-fi dystopian movies. He had this dark hair that framed a sharp, serious face with eyes that looked like they could shoot lasers if he tried hard enough and he was just, for a lack of a better term,_ cool.

_After that, he couldn’t help but be intrigued by the guy. Lance learned quickly that his name was Keith Kogane and that he was a quiet person, keeping to himself mostly. In fact, he didn’t seem interested in socializing at all, so Lance decided to keep his distance until he felt like he had a way of approaching Keith without him skittering off._

_Of course, Lance wasn’t the only one who noticed Keith. Rumours among the first years ran rampant and Lance, though reveling in the drama, wasn’t sure what was and wasn’t true._

_Everyone seemed to agree that Keith had punched someone his very first week at the Garrison, but that was_ all _they agreed on._

_“I heard he punched a teacher.”_

_“He wouldn’t be here if he punched a_ teacher. _”_

_“No, he punched a first-year girl.”_

_“No way! He punched a third-year guy! I saw it!”_

_“You did not.”_

_As the weeks went on, Keith rapidly became a cryptid that traipsed the halls of the Garrison only to be sighted once every few years. Lance only ever saw him in classes and at meals. He never made an attempt to linger or talk to others and likewise, no one made an attempt to talk to him._

_If it wasn’t for the instructors asking him questions during class, Lance would never have known what his voice sounded like. Even then, Keith would answer curtly with no embellishments or stutterings--just a succinct, clear, and correct answer before going back to steely silence. Lance often found himself wondering what was going on in Keith’s head. Was he just super shy? Did he hate everyone? Did he hate being at the Garrison?_

_The last one he found a little hard to believe, seeing as Keith got higher scores on the simulator than most third-years. It was starting to get annoying how good he was, if Lance was honest. Every single time Keith stepped out of the simulator, Commander Iverson would say something dumb like “Incredible, Kogane! Now, cadets, did you see the level of control Kogane exhibited when he--yada yada yada, Keith’s so great, yada yada.”_

_The worst part about it was how absolutely indifferent Keith looked when an instructor gave him praise. Lance would have loved to be used as a good example by the instructors, but Keith almost seemed bored by it, like what he had done was no big deal and everyone was overreacting. It set off an unpleasant feeling in Lance that made his skin itch and his stomach churn with acid._

_More often than not, Lance found himself glaring at the back of Keith’s head in their lecture classes while fiddling with a pencil between his fingers. Lance knew he should have been paying attention to Professor Montgomery, but his eyes kept sneaking back to Keith’s raven black hair. It was just so..._ black _. Still, Lance couldn’t figure out why he was always so interested in what Keith was doing._

Maybe it’s because his hair looks like that one hairstyle all the guys had in the 1980’s? A mullet? Yeah! Dude’s totally got an ugly mullet thing going on and I’m staring ‘cuz it’s so ugly, _Lance thought, but he could still feel a sense of unease swirling inside of him._

 _Just in general, Keith just made Lance_ uneasy _. One day, Lance found himself completely awed by how good Keith was at, well, everything--but mostly flying--and the next, jealousy coursed through him like steam--hot and rising._

_He was just so sick of hearing about how great Kogane was from the instructors and he was sick of hearing all the other kids gossiping about him like he was some sort of celebrity. It made Lance feel invisible and Lance hated that feeling more than anything._

_Lance’s growing resentment reached a new high when Professor Montgomery asked him to stay after class one day._

_Now, Lance couldn’t exactly pretend he was an ideal student, but he really did try. He_ tried _to pay attention, but lectures were just so hard for him to sit through. So, maybe he found himself passing notes to cute girls or whispering to friends or staring at black hair sometimes, it didn’t mean he didn’t care about the class. He just needed more stimulation than being talked at for an hour and a half._

 _It wasn’t exactly a surprise that a professor was calling him out. His teachers before the Garrison all made comments about it at some point. Well, except for his gym teacher, but that was because it was_ gym _and gym was actually fun._

_“McClain,” Professor Montgomery called as the rest of the class filtered out the doors and Lance felt his shoulders rise to his ears. Professor Montgomery motioned Lance over to his desk with a reproachful look and offered a chair for him to sit on. Lance made his way over and took a seat with his heart thudding in his chest._

_“Uh, heeey, Professor! What’s up?” Lance asked, giving the teacher a sheepish grin. Professor Montgomery, a wiry older man with a shock of white hair and tight lips that never seemed to smile, just frowned at him._

_“McClain,” Professor Montgomery said with a sigh, “I believe you_ know _what’s up. I’ve caught you being a distraction multiple times. If you don’t want to pay attention in class, then fine, but I will not permit you to drag others with you.”_

_Lance restrained himself from flinching like he’d been physically hit, but it was difficult. “I’m sorry, professor. I just get really restless in lecture classes.”_

_“Then, you need to find a way_ not _to be restless. Honestly, Lance, it’s disheartening. You have so much potential. You could be doing more. I don’t doubt you could be in fighter class if you just put your mind to it, but then I see you talking in class. Do you think Kogane ever talks in class?”_

_Now, that one stung and Lance couldn’t cover up the flinch that time. It brought back all those memories of his father scolding him and comparing him to his siblings whenever a teacher called home._

“Do you think Carlos ever shot rubber bands at his friends in class? No, he listened to the teacher and took notes, Lance,” _his father had said, disappointment thick on his tongue._

_Lance hated being compared to people. It made him feel like the side character in someone else’s story--small and forgettable. His insides squirmed whenever someone did it to him and now was no exception, but he knew how to handle people who did this._

_“No, sir. I’m sorry. I’ll work on it from now on.”_

_“See that you do, cadet. Dismissed.”_

 

 _After that, Lance’s quiet curiosity and mild annoyance towards Keith Kogane morphed into something more frustrated and kinetic. It was something that needed_ action _, not just some subtle glares from across a classroom during a boring lecture. So, Lance decided that he was going to be a better pilot than Keith and then people would be telling_ him _to be more like Lance, and not the other way around._

_It was a simple fix, really--be at the top and no one will rub someone else’s achievements in your face while simultaneously pointing out all your flaws. And why not? He could do anything Keith could, he just needed to practice more._

_This was, of course, easier said than done. He started practicing in the simulator more, but progress was slow going. He often hovered around the same score for a long time before it got a tinsy bit higher. Keith, on the other hand, would have a better score pretty much every time he got out of the simulator and every time he did, Lance would feel cold envy pool in his stomach and tension rise in his shoulders._

_It was just so maddening! Keith never seemed to_ care _that his scores were getting better, he brushed off the compliments from the teachers, and, on top of all that, he didn’t even try to get to know anyone in class. It was like he thought he was too good for the likes of his classmates. The more Lance thought about, the more something in him_ burned _and he couldn’t ignore it anymore._

 _Near the end of the year, Lance cornered him one day after he_ once again _improved his ridiculously high score. Lance leaned against a wall outside of the simulator as he waited for Keith to show his face. Then, in a blur of black hair, Keith power-walked in front of him and booked it down the hall fast. Quickly, Lance called out to him._

_“Hey, Keith!”_

_Keith stopped like the mere uttering of his name caused him to turn to stone. Slowly, he turned to look at Lance with a knitted brow and his lips pulled into a frown._

Oh, am I interrupting your day, your majesty? _Lance thought._

_“Uh, yeah?” Keith asked._

_Lance, putting on his best intimidation face, pushed himself off the wall and approached Keith, fully prepared to let this snob have it._

_The only problem was, Lance had never looked_ directly _at Keith before and well, he was a very_ striking _person. Keith, with his dark, intense eyes trained full focus on Lance was disorienting. Lance felt like Keith was seeing right through him, like somehow Keith’s eyes could read his thoughts as easily as if they were written on a chalkboard. Not to mention that the guy’s face was nothing but sharp angles; his cheekbones could probably cut a diamond._

_Finally, after too many seconds, Lance came to his senses and said what he came to say, “I’ve seen you in the simulator and I admit, you’re pretty good, but don’t let it get to your head because I’m coming for your spot.”_

_Lance congratulated himself on a threat well sent and watched Keith eagerly for a response, but rather than being worried (as he should have been), he just seemed confused. He even tilted his head._

_“Uh, who exactly...are you?” Keith asked._

_Lance felt his face fall and something heavy drop in his stomach as let out a wounded noise. They’d been in classes all year together and he didn’t even know who Lance_ was _?_

Guess you don’t have much time for others when you’re too busy showing off from up there in your high tower _, Lance thought, bitterly._

_He was glaring now, he was sure, because Keith looked taken aback by his reaction and Lance wasn’t going to let him off the hook._

_“Dude, we have like every class together,” Lance said and he was going to lay into Keith more,_ but _Lance had a pretty great nickname that he was trying to get stick and here was a perfect opportunity. “Well, whatever. You can just call me ‘the Tailor’ and your official rival.”_

_Keith blinked at him, still confused, although Lance thought he’d been pretty clear._

_“Oh, uh, okay. Nice to meet you, Taylor.”_

_Lance could only gape at him. For being such a good student, this kid was..._ dense. 

_“Wait, what? No, no. It’s not_ Taylor _. It’s_ the _Tailor. Y’know, because of how I thread the needle?” Lance asked, desperately, forgetting that he was even angry, but Keith just stared at him. “In the_ simulator _.”_

_“Um, okay, is there...something you need?” Keith asked and Lance had to will himself not to close his eyes in prayer to ask for strength. They’d been talking for all of a minute and already this guy was exhausting him. Lance sighed and palmed his face in frustration._

_“Just...nevermind. I’ll see you in class, dude,” Lance said, giving up. He didn’t give Keith a chance to answer as he stormed off quickly, wanting to get the last word in._

_The interaction confused Lance for days and if it caused Lance to stare at the back of Keith’s head more frequently, well he couldn’t be blamed for that._

 

 _Second year sucked. Second year really,_ really _sucked. All of Lance’s classes seemed to be about eight-hundred times harder, the pressure to get better simulation scores was at an all time high, and Keith’s scores just kept shooting up._

 _Lance_ was _getting better too, but it was kid stuff compared to Keith and Lance knew it. Nothing short of a miracle would get him to Keith’s level, but Lance was determined to try._

_Lance couldn’t help but dread practical flying classes, though. In first year, he loved it. It was like playing a video game, but super realistic and immersive, but now, practical flying classes filled him with anxiety. The instructors kept reminding them that if they wanted to make fighter class then they had to do better, that everyone was your competition, and that second year evaluations determined the rest of your career. To say that everyone was on edge would be an understatement._

_The worst of it, though, was when Iverson wouldn’t shut up about Keith and how “advanced” he was. It had been annoying in first year, but with the raised stakes of second year, it was downright infuriating. Lance wasn’t the only one who thought so as Keith was quickly becoming a shared enemy among his classmates._

_It didn’t start out too bad at first, just Lance’s classmates blowing off steam during lunch._

_“I’m pretty sure if Kogane beats Shiro’s simulation score this year, Iverson’s probably gonna kiss him on the spot,” Marni, another piloting student, said as Lance and Hunk joined her and a couple of her friends for lunch._

_“Ew,_ Marni! _” said Marni’s friend, Ava, an engineering student._

 _“What? You’re not_ there _Ava. Iverson has hearts in his eyes every time the guy steps out of the simulator.”_

_Then, Lyssa, another piloting student that Lance had his eye on, chimed in. “Can’t say I blame him, though. Kogane may be a total recluse, but his face makes up for it.”_

_At that, Lance nearly choked on his spaghetti._

_“What?!” Lance yelled. “You think he’s_ hot _?!”_

_Oh, no, no, no. Keith was not stealing his crush from him._

_Lyssa giggled and tucked a lock of her long, chestnut hair behind her ear. “Oh, come on. He’s super easy on the eyes and I’m pretty sure he’s ripped underneath that uniform.”_

_“Uh, how can you even tell? The uniforms aren’t exactly form fitting,” Hunk said._

_“Yeah!” Lance agreed._

_Lyssa just shrugged. “I can tell.”_

_“Well, whatever,” Lance started, crossing his arms and looking away, “I’m way better looking than he is. Have you seen his skin? I bet he doesn’t even cleanse.”_

_Lyssa giggled again and rolled her pretty brown eyes, “Okay, Lance.”_

_“I am! Look at my pores!” he said, leaning over the table to show her his face, “Oh, wait! You can’t, because they’re basically non-existent.”_

_“You have great skin, buddy,” Hunk said, with a pat on Lance’s back._

_“_ Thank you _, Hunk.”_

 _“You may have good skin, Lance, but get anywhere near Keith’s score on the simulator and_ then _we’ll talk,” Lyssa said, poking at her own spaghetti._

_Lance grinned, “Oh yeah? Can we talk over dinner?”_

_“We have dinner all the time.”_

_“You know what I mean!”_

_Lyssa scoffed. “Sure, Lance. If you get into one of the top five spots, I’ll let you take me out to dinner.”_

_“Yes!” Lance said, clutching his fist and pulling it close to his chest._

 

_Lyssa’s challenge gave Lance even more drive to beat Keith and he found himself in the simulator practicing after classes a lot more often. The practice was paying off, but he was far from the only one who had the same idea. Almost every second year was getting in as much practice as they could and Lance was hovering in the dangerous territory of spots twenty to thirty._

_As the year went on, the idea of getting anywhere near the top five spots stopped being a priority. The new priority was just to get into fighter class because evaluations were crawling closer and closer, and Lance was losing sleep over it. Second year was a blur of studying (or trying to study) and practicing for hours in the simulator. Hunk and he spent countless late nights pouring over their notes and his parents called him every week to tell him they believed he could do it._

_Still, Lance had a constant, mounting anxiety as the school year dragged on._

_The feeling was universal among second-years, however, and it was turning everyone into snappy, resentful brats._

_The light-hearted annoyance that cadets were feeling towards the clear favoritism directed at Keith was slowly turning into something more insidious. Lance heard conversations about Keith get pretty ugly amongst the piloting students, but Lance stayed out of it. Lance’s mamá taught him better than to gossip, though he would vent to Hunk in the privacy of their room to let off some steam._

_Then, Keith had to just go and put more attention on himself and beat_ Takashi Shirogane’s _high score. Iverson wouldn’t shut up about it, the school made a big announcement, and anyone who had classes with Keith had to listen to their instructors moan on and on about him._

_When Lance watched him do it through the video feed next to the simulator, he wasn’t even mad at first, he was just...impressed. Like, stupid impressed. They could hate him all they wanted, but it didn’t change the fact that the guy was the real deal._

_The worst part was, when Keith stepped out of the simulator and saw that he had beaten Shiro’s score, he actually_ smiled _\--a real, honest-to-goodness smile that made Lance’s stomach turn in...envy? Malice? Lance wasn’t sure, but he wished Keith would quit it._

_Still, the others students were getting nastier and nastier, and Lance couldn’t help but feel a little bad. Though Keith had shown an actual emotion (for once in his life), he seemed to be even more broody than usual. His shoulders slumped a little more in lecture classes, he skipped meals sometimes, and Lance just got the sense that he probably knew that he was hated._

_And Lance didn’t feel great about that. For all of his complaining about Keith, he didn’t hate the guy. He just made Lance feel like another face in the crowd, unremarkable and forgettable, which, when Lance thought about it, really wasn’t Keith’s fault._

_He made up his mind that he was going to talk to Keith in a somewhat civil manner. He wasn’t going to try and befriend him or anything; he just wanted to...not be mean to him? Lance wasn’t sure, but he was compelled to do it anyway and before evaluations got too close._

_After their next practical flying class, Keith beat his high score_ again _and Lance was feeling a little less generous, but he promised he was going to talk to him so, that was that. Once class ended, Lance saw Keith dart out the classroom. He always seemed to disappear really fast nowadays, but Lance was ready for it so he ran after him._

_“Keith! Wait up!”_

_Again, Keith stopped and stilled like a statue before turning to face Lance, looking ready for a fight._

_“Hey, man! I got a bone to pick with you,” Lance said, his tone teasing. He wasn’t exactly sure where he was going with this, but it felt unnatural to be too cordial with him after their last conversation almost a year ago._

_“Oh, yeah?” Keith asked, harshly, “and what is that?”_

_Lance, again trying to tease him, pressed a finger to his chest and grinned._

_“You’ve got a pretty big lead on everyone for that top spot, but don’t get comfy, hotshot!” Lance said. “I’m coming for that spot, slowly, but surely.”_

_Honestly, it was meant to be a compliment of sorts, but Lance figured it sounded more antagonistic than he meant it to since Keith seemed so shocked by it._

_He flitted his eyes around, nervous for some reason and asked, “Uh, are you in the second spot, or something?”_

_Lance took his finger off of Keith’s chest like he’d been burned and quickly crossed his arms, trying to calm his embarrassment._

_“N-not exactly, but I will be! And then I’m gonna kick your_ \--” _Lance started, looking back at Keith and hoping to salvage some of his dignity, but Keith was making eye contact with him and in this light, his eyes looked_ purple. _“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second. Are you wearing colored contact lenses?”_

 _Keith looked at him like he’d grown a second head, but Lance didn’t care because he_ had _to know._

_“Uh, what? No, I-I don’t need glasses or anything.”_

They’re not contact lenses?! _Lance thought, scandalized. He leaned in closer to get a better look to make sure Keith wasn’t lying._

 _“So, what your eyes are just_ naturally _that color?”_

_“Yes?”_

_How? How was this a real eye color? Lance had never seen eyes that shade_ ever _and before he knew what he was doing, he was leaning in closer to really observe them. Keith’s irises were a dark shade of purple, easily mistaken for black, but in this light Lance could see the subtle violet hues. To make matters worse, they were framed by probably the longest lashes Lance had ever seen._

_Keith never flinched, just stared back until Lance was satisfied._

_Which he never really was because it was just another thing that made Keith an_ actual _hero in a dystopian movie. This guy had everything so effortlessly! He was pilot prodigy, had a bunch of girls pining after him, skin that was actually pretty flawless, and..._

Man, you even have cool eyes _, Lance thought, pulling away and scratching his head._

_“What?” Keith asked and--oh._

_Oh,_ no _._

_Lance had said that out loud._

_Well, there went the last of the dignity he once had._

_Blood rushed to Lance’s cheeks and he realized that he needed to leave immediately before he made an even bigger fool of himself. “Nothing! Whatever, I just stopped to tell you I’m gonna be taking your spot and this is your official warning! I’ll see you in class,” he said in a rush._

_He was about to dart away when Keith called out “see you in class,” to him in earnest. It gave Lance pause for just a second, but it was enough to send Keith an unpermitted smile before running away to his room where he could scream into his pillow for a good hour._

_After that, there wasn’t much time to worry about Keith or the fact that Lance had horribly embarrassed himself in front of his rival. Evaluations were just around the corner and Lance’s fear of not getting into fighter class was growing every day. His standings were still hovering right on the edge of the cut off and Lance was starting to panic a bit._

_He threw himself into studying to get his grades up, which weren’t_ bad _, but could be a lot better and he practiced as much as he could in the simulators after classes. The only problem was that everyone had the same idea and the simulator deck was always packed. Still, he got in when he could and saw improvements, but not as fast as he would have liked._

 _It occured to Lance he should have been working this hard_ much _sooner and panic hit him in the chest like a runaway train. It kept him from sleeping, which was good because it allowed Lance to get in some extra studying, but it worried Hunk a bit._

_“Dude, you gotta get some sleep.”_

_“I_ will. _I just can’t calm down,” Lance said, pouring over his history textbook in their dorm room._

_“Then, let’s get you some chamomile tea or something. You look exhausted.”_

_Lance rubbed at his eyes and looked over at Hunk, “I have to finish this chapter…”_

_“You’re not gonna retain anything when you’re this tired, Lance. C’mon, get a good night’s sleep tonight and start fresh in the morning,” Hunk said, his eyes kind and his voice concerned. Lance sighed._

_“Okay.”_

_And Lance did try to go to sleep, he really did, but it was hard when his heart was beating as fast as a hummingbird’s wings in flight. No matter how many deep breaths he took, Lance couldn’t get his poor heart to slow down to an actual acceptable level for rest. He just...wanted to be a fighter pilot_ so _bad._

 _He loved space, ever since he was a little kid. He told his dad once that he wanted to be a superhero that visited all the stars and told them how important they were. It was kind of silly, even for a little kid, but Lance had held onto that child’s wish deep in his heart. There was something about the stars that Lance couldn’t help but be attracted to, couldn’t help feeling like he was_ meant _to be up there. He couldn’t explain it, but it was like something bigger than himself was telling him “you have somewhere to be.”_

 _And that was all Lance really wanted--a place to be, a place of his own. A role that only_ he _could fill, instead of being just another cog in a machine. He wanted to be necessary and irreplaceable, and for some reason, space was the one thing that made him believe that he could be those things. He felt it deep in his gut._

_But that would all be over if he didn’t make fighter class, because cargo pilots didn’t go to space. Cargo pilots were human cogs in the earth machine._

_He really should have been trying harder sooner._

 

 _Lance’s teachers liked_ this _Lance--the one that actually paid attention and asked questions and talked to them after class. It didn’t stop them from comparing him to Keith, however._

_“Now, if you look at what Kogane did here…”_

_“It was like that one time Kogane did this…”_

_“McClain, you’re sloppy. Just look at Kogane…”_

_To their credit, they were just trying to help by showing him relevant examples, but the needling sensation Lance got whenever he felt like he was blending into the walls would hit him full force during these moments._

_Still, he tried to take their advice and he even, for the_ briefest _of seconds, considered asking Keith to tutor him, but he dismissed the idea immediately._

 

_The evaluations were pretty simple, despite the big hullabaloo about them. Over the course of the school week, a panel of instructors watched every second year pilot student run a course on the simulator, then ranked all of the students by number. They combined each students simulator score with their GPA and the top twenty-five students would be allowed to advance to fighter class, while the rest became cargo pilots._

_Lance’s evaluation was scheduled in the middle of the week since his last name started with the letter M and he was thankful he wasn’t going on the last day. He didn’t think he’d survive that._

_When it was finally his turn, Lance entered the simulator deck, unable to see the panel, and headed into the simulator with his heart beating wildly in his chest._

_He sat at the pilot’s seat and grabbed the controls with trembling hands. He took in a deep breath and let out a shaky exhale._

_“Okay, you can do it. This is your moment.”_

 

_Turns out, it wasn’t._

 

_Lance was, quite honestly, heartbroken. Over his two years at the Garrison, Lance had flirted and been turned down by more girls than he could count and it stung every time, but this was nothing like those other times. At least his dream of meeting the love of his life was still alive, but his dream of living amongst the stars? Dead. Buried. Decomposing._

_Lance was lucky to have Hunk and his family supporting him, and they truly did make him feel better, but he felt an ache in his chest every time he remembered he was going to be sent to cargo class, which was constantly. Before evaluations, Lance couldn’t get his heart to slow down for the life of him, but after the results came out, Lance’s heart seemed to beat in a sluggish rhythm, like it had used up all its strength._

_The last few weeks of the year were a slow torture. Lance just wanted it to be summer so he could go back home and forget the Garrison existed for a little while. His one solace was that the teachers were taking it easy on them since their big test for the year was officially over._

_Seeing Keith was its own sort of confusing punishment that usually compounded the fiery jealousy in his gut, the heavy sadness in his mind, and the aching pull in his chest that he couldn’t characterize. He could understand the envy and depression, but not the...longing? There was a part of Lance that wanted to keep pitting himself against Keith, keep competing against him, but the competition was over now and Lance guessed he longed for that back--the push and drive to be_ better. _It just didn’t matter now._

_Lance did his best to forget Keith existed for a little while. He trained his eyes to stop naturally finding Keith, he stopped paying attention when he went up in practical classes, and he tried to stop feeling so defeated by the whole thing._

_Until, one day, during their practical arms training class, Keith approached Lance for the very first time._

_It was just after Lance had finished a clean run of target practice and class was ending that he heard a voice call out to him._

_“Uh, hey,” the voice said, soft and tentative. Lance knew it was Keith and he felt a bolt of thrill shoot through him. Keith never initiated conversations with_ anyone. _“You’re, uh-you’re a good shot.”_

_Oh, so, that’s what this was? Pity?_

_Grief and regret crashed over him like ice water and the wounds were just too raw at this point to pretend they weren’t there. He knew Keith was doing this with good intentions, he could tell just by the sound of his voice that he wasn’t trying to rub anything in Lance’s face. Not to mention, Lance_ was _a good shot. It was the only class he ranked top five in, but...hearing Keith offering his praise as a consolation prize only made Lance feel like dirt._

_He knew that Keith didn’t deserve his vitriol, but he couldn’t look at him. If he did, he didn’t know what kind of face he would make; he just couldn’t look like even more of a loser in front of this guy. He just couldn’t._

_Lance looked straight ahead, with sagging shoulders and a tightly clenched hand, and muttered a small “thanks” before rushing out of the indoor shooting range, not once looking back._

 

_“He was pitying me, Hunk.”_

_“Or,” Hunk said, rolling his eyes from his dorm room desk, “he actually thinks you’re a good shot and was trying to give you a compliment.”_

_“No way, he saw the results and thought ‘aw, that poor dumb kid who kept challenging me couldn’t even get into fighter class, but hey! Maybe I can tell the champ that he can shoot!’ It’s condescending!” Lance said, not exactly sure why he was angry. He just felt the need to vent about it, to have an_ enemy _to push his frustrations on. Hunk sighed and looked at Lance who was lounging on the bottom bunk._

_“Buddy, I love you, but you’re blowing this way out of proportion. You said Keith never really talks to anyone, right?”_

_“Yeah…”_

_“And we always see him sitting alone during meals, right?”_

_“What’s your point?”_

_“My point is,” Hunk started, giving an encouraging smile, “maybe he wants to be friends? You’ve actually talked to him before, so maybe this is his way of trying?”_

_Lance watched Hunk through narrowed eyes and rolled the idea around in his head. Keith, wanting to be friends? He guessed it was possible, but why now? Why not so much sooner?_

_“Naw, if that were true he wouldn’t have waited until after evaluations, y’know?”_

_“You don’t know that. It could have just been hard to talk to you. Maybe, he thought it would be easier to be friends after evaluations since you wouldn’t be rivals anymore?”_

_“Ugh, Hunk why do you have to see the good in everyone?”_

_At that, Hunk let out a small laugh. “Think you got that backward, Lance”_

_“Why?”_

_“You_ always _give people the benefit of the doubt.” Hunk shrugged, “I think Keith’s the only person you don’t do that for.”_

_“That’s...not true.”_

_“It kinda is.”_

_Lance looked back up at the underside of the top bunk with his hands cupping the base of his neck and only gave Hunk a “hmph” in reply._

 

_The summer was rejuvenating and healing in a way that only home sweet home could be. Every year, his family spent the summer in Cuba and Lance was never so happy to be back there, as it provided the perfect distraction from the Garrison. He let himself get lost in the constant movement of the country, never letting himself stop long enough to wallow in his failure. He filled the hot summer days with games of sweaty baseball, surfing at the beach despite the tourists, and asking cute girls out to ice cream. It was only in the few minutes at night, as he waited for sleep to take him, that he had time enough to think of the Garrison._

_It still really hurt and there were more than a couple nights that he found a tear or two on his pillow when he thought about it too much, but it was getting better. It was going to be okay._

_He often thought of his conversation with Hunk about Keith, too._

_Lance tried not to dwell on it. Afterall, he just wanted to enjoy his summer with his family without the weight of all the Garrison junk on his shoulders. Still, when he_ did _think about it, Hunk might have had a point. Maybe, Keith wasn’t a totally bad guy. He was standoffish and awkward, and Lance still stood by his assessment that he was a total show-off, but under all that, it was_ possible _that he was nice._

 _And maybe, he_ did _want to make friends. Lance knew that no one person was the same, but he couldn’t really imagine a person who could truly be happy all on their own. That would apply to Keith too, right?_

_Near the end of the summer, when the cracks in his heart had been puttied back together with sunshine and sea salt, Lance decided he’d give Keith the benefit of the doubt. He probably wasn’t going to go out of his way to approach him, but Lance would be civil and maybe, if he was feeling particularly generous, he’d sit with Keith at lunch or something. No big deal._

_And he was going to start third year off positively. He may have missed the cut off for fighter class, but that meant he was_ number one _in cargo class, and well, that was something, right?_

 

_Being in the cargo class wasn’t the worst, but it wasn’t the best either. It was nice being in an environment where the stakes weren’t so high all the time. Not to mention, Lance was in his element and the instructors were consistently praising him for his work, which was a great change of pace. It helped him feel, if only a little, more visible amongst the large student body that made up the cargo pilots._

_But, well...it was still cargo class and no matter how much he excelled there, he’d always lament not getting to space. The sharp pain he’d felt from not making it to fighter class had eased, but it was still there--thumping and aching from the bottom of his ribs. It hurt, but it was tolerable._

_He knew it would take time to really, truly get over it, which is why he was still avoiding Keith despite his resolve to be civil towards him. It was much easier than before, as they only shared one class now, instead of four or five, but seeing him in their arm’s training class was like pulling out the sutures before they were ready. He’d get to it...eventually._

_Eventually never came though, because the Kerberos crew were declared Killed in Action and it shook the entire Galaxy Garrison to its core. Shiro was a legend to the piloting students and Lance had looked up to him ever since he became the youngest fighter squad leader in Garrison history. Lance had never met him but he always really wanted to--maybe under his command one day or something--but that dream went out the window months ago. If there was ever a chance, it was really gone now._

_After it became national news, Lance got a call from his mother about it._

“Ah, mijo, everything happens for a reason. You know, I think it’s good you didn’t make fighter class. It’s dangerous!”

_Lance smiled and made some non-committal noises to appease her, but for some reason, his flaming desire to explore space burned brighter than ever._

 

_The news had hit all of them pretty hard, but to Lance’s surprise, no one more than Keith. To be honest, Lance didn’t think Keith would be very affected by the news at all. Keith had always been so apathetic to the things happening around him and he never seemed very interested in getting involved with others, but he was beside himself when he found out about Shiro. Lance had heard rumors that he ran out of class when the school made an announcement on the overhead speakers and Hunk, who now had more classes with Keith than Lance did, said he looked terrible._

_When Lance saw him in arm’s training, he had to agree. Keith’s eyes looked tired and swollen, and his hair, usually clean and shiny, was greasy and flat. There was a sluggishness to his actions that made Lance worried he was making himself sick._

_There was also this dark aura surrounding him that felt like a poorly contained storm was gathering and about to crack through the atmosphere at any moment. Lance couldn’t even pretend he wasn’t worried about him._ Everyone _was._

 _Keith started skipping classes and whenever he_ was _there, he’d pick fights with the instructors. Hunk gave Lance frequent updates on whether or not Keith showed up, and if he did, what kind of stunt he pulled. Apparently, he had a terrible working relationship with his engineer and communications officer who constantly complained about him. When the instructors would admonish him for it, he’d talk back and get kicked out of the class. It was pretty clear to everyone that he was spiraling and they had to be careful around him because he was powder keg that could explode with even the smallest of sparks._

_It made Lance feel...weird. It’s not like he really cared about Keith, or anything, but he couldn’t help feeling like he needed to do something. He kept thinking that there was more to the Keith situation than what he was just seeing. Afterall, Keith was a figure shrouded in mystery. Nobody really knew anything about him other than he was a great pilot, but there were plenty of rumors. The legend of his altercation with a third-year in their first year refused to die for one and Lance had often heard that Keith was one of the very few students allowed to stay at the Garrison over summer and winter breaks._

Maybe he has nowhere to go? _Lance thought._ Maybe he doesn’t have anyone to help him through this.

 

 _It was one day in their arm’s training class that Lance decided he really needed to talk to Keith. It was one of the few classes Keith even bothered to attend and he was getting frustrated by the drills, so much so that he was scowling. Now, Lance had known for a while that arms training was Keith’s worst subject (and Lance’s best--something Hunk had heard about on countless occasions), but he wasn’t_ bad _and Lance had never seen him very bothered by it._

 _Except, on this day, Keith was just_ livid _. He kept getting frustrated, which made him hold his breath, which threw off his shot, which, made him more frustrated. Lance had to remind himself to breathe just looking at Keith since he was so tense._

_“Breathe, Kogane. You’re getting too wound up,” Mr. Harris, their instructor, told Keith._

_“I_ am _breathing,” Keith said through gritted teeth._

_Mr. Harris sighed, “You’re not, cadet. Now, try again but this time--line up on the inhale, shoot on the exhale.”_

_Keith turned back to the target and took a shallow breath that went right to his chest. He let out a brief exhale and shot at the closest target, but missed by a mile._

_With a growl, Keith slammed the practice weapon on the counter and said, “this is_ pointless! _”_

_“Kogane-” Mr. Harris started, but Keith was already heading towards the door. “Kogane, you better not leave this classroom! Kogane!”_

_But Keith didn’t care. He just really, truly didn’t care and Lance could tell Mr. Harris was over it. Lance wondered if this was it. If this was the final straw for Keith’s long list of insubordinations over the past couple weeks._

_Without really knowing what he was doing, Lance raised his hand high in the air. “Mr. Harris! Permission to speak?”_

_The class all turned to look at him and the sudden outburst, while Mr. Harris narrowed his eyes at Lance in confusion._

_“What is it, McClain?”_

_“Uh, sir, could I go check on Kogane, sir?” Lance asked and felt himself flush a little at the sudden din of whispers and hushed gasps from the class. They quieted quickly, however, as they anticipated Mr. Harris’ answer._

_Mr. Harris took a second to look Lance over, clearly trying to decide if he was just trying to get out of class or not, but he shrugged. “Fine, McClain, but I don’t know what good it’ll do.”_

_“Thank you, sir!” Lance said, before bolting out the door._

_And then we was running down the long hallway that led back to the main campus. He was chasing after Keith, but if you asked him why, he wouldn’t have been able to give you a good answer._

_It just...it seemed like such a_ waste _. Keith had everything, could do_ anything _and he was just gonna throw it all away? And for what?_

_It left Lance with an annoying squirm in his stomach that he really didn’t like so, he was chasing after Keith. Simple as that._

_Luckily, he found Keith at the end of the hall before it split off into a fork and Lance called out his name._

_“Keith!”_

_Keith stopped in his tracks, his shoulders hiking up to his ears at the mention of his name. Slowly, he turned to Lance._

_“What do you want?” Keith asked, hissing the words through his teeth like he was in physical pain just interacting with another human being. Up close, Keith looked even worse for wear than Lance thought. His face was thinner, he had bags under his eyes, and he just seemed...miserable._

_“Whoa, dude. Slow your roll. I just came to tell you that you need to get your act together, man. You’re slipping,” Lance said and okay, was it the most delicate way to start this conversation? No, but he didn’t really know how to have this conversation with Keith. Maybe playful ribbing was what he needed._

_“And why do you care?”_

_The words were bitter and acidic on Keith’s tongue and Lance found himself on the defensive. Yeah,_ why _did he care? This guy had been a pain in his side since first year._

 _“Hey, don’t get the wrong idea. I_ don’t _,” Lance said and wow, okay. This was off to a bad start. “I just need to know if I need to find a new rival. One who’s more up to snuff.”_

 _Honestly, this was the exact opposite of how Lance would approach asking someone to take better care of himself, especially someone who was obviously going through something, but Keith just brought out this side to him! Lance was normally a friendly, supportive person and a good listener, but with Keith? No, Lance had to_ goad _him. It was like he couldn’t stop himself._

_Lance watched as a dangerous flicker sparked in Keith’s dark eyes and his lips curled into a snarl._

_“That’s rich coming from you, cargo pilot.”_

_Lance had heard the expression “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” before, but man, whoever thought that one up had no idea what they were talking about._

_All of the careful work Lance had done to repair the fractures in his heart, to make himself believe he’d be okay even if he never achieved his dream--well, it all started crumbling again because of Keith and Keith’s words. They tore open his wounds with cruel precision, but where there was pain, there was also clarity._

_Because screw this guy. Hunk was wrong and Lance was right all along. Keith had been looking down at him the entire time and enjoyed one-upping him, just like Lance had always suspected._

_With as much venom as he could muster, Lance glared at Keith and said, “Well,_ you’re _a self-absorbed loner, so whatever man. I don’t care anymore!”_

_He didn’t bother seeing Keith’s reaction, opting to just turn around and go back to class with steam coming out of his ears and pain reverberating in his chest._

 

_When Lance told Hunk, even he didn’t try to defend Keith._

_“I guess, some people really do just want to be left alone,” he had said with a shrug and, based on all available evidence, Lance was inclined to agree._

 

_A week later, Keith was gone._

_“Dude, you should have seen him! He just laid it into Iverson after he had a bad run in the simulator, and Iverson was so red I thought he was gonna actually kill him. Keith, though, he just snapped!” Hunk said, the story bursting from him as he told it to Lance in their dorm._

_“Whoa! Then what happened?”_

_“They just kinda yelled at each other, until Keith got to a point where we all basically thought he was gonna hit Iverson, but he called the guards before Keith got the chance. He told Keith that he was going to be expelled for this and the guards just dragged him off,” Hunk said._

_“Man...he really just threw everything down the drain, huh?”_

_“I don’t think it even mattered to him. It didn’t even phase him when Iverson told him he’d be expelled.”_

_“Do you think they’ll really kick him out?”_

_“Yeah, dude. He’s been on thin ice for weeks. No way he gets out of this mess.”_

 

_The next day, Keith Kogane was officially no longer a student at the Galaxy Garrison and Lance couldn’t bring himself to feel bad about it._

 

_Lance never considered that Keith would need replacing if he dropped out. He assumed that the class would just be one pilot less than before._

_Then, he was called to Iverson’s office in the middle of his practical flying class. The summons caught him off guard--he hadn’t snuck out in a long time and he hadn’t broken any other rules that he could think of, but still, being sent to Iverson’s almost always meant bad news._

_Lance went straight to his office, mostly just to kill the suspense that had his heart hammering in his chest. He wasn’t normally so afraid of getting in trouble, but after Keith’s exit, he was a little on edge. Especially since Lance never really got off of Iverson’s bad side._

_The door was already open when Lance arrived and as soon as he saw Iverson at his desk, he stood up straight and saluted. “Sir!”_

_Iverson looked up from his desk and with a grunt of acknowledgement said, “at ease, cadet. Have a seat.”_

_Lance relaxed and sat himself opposite of Iverson. He sat up straight, hands in his lap as his heart rate continued to skyrocket. With every passing second that Iverson browsed his papers and kept Lance waiting, the more nervous he got._

_Finally, after a long few seconds of listening to paper rustling and the gentle clicks of a clock, Iverson cleared his throat._

_“You still want to be a fighter pilot, McClain?”_

_Lance blinked._

_“I-what?”_

_Iverson let out an exasperated sigh, “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the best pilot in your year was booted from the program, so we got an empty seat and you’re our first alternate. Do you want to be transferred from cargo?”_

_Lance gaped at him like he had just revealed himself to be an alien._

_“You serious?!” Lance asked, louder than he meant to be._

_“Yes, cadet,” Iverson said, “but I should warn you. Fighter class is an intensive course and you’re two months behind. You’ll have a lot of catching up to do. You think you can handle it, McClain?”_

_Lance’s face cracked into a grin that took up a half of his face and a warm, bubbling sensation filled his chest because…_

_Because he was going to be a_ fighter pilot _._

A fighter pilot.

 _He was going to be trained as a fighter pilot. He was going to get an engineer and a communications officer. He was going to get to go up to_ space _. He was--_

_“Cadet!_

_“Huh? Oh! Sorry, sir!” Lance said, correcting himself and saluting, “I can handle it, sir! I won’t let you down!_

_“Good. You’ll start Monday,” he started, then waved his hand with a flick of his wrist, “Dismissed, cadet. Go back to class. I’ll send more class information to your Garrison tablet.”_

_Lance shot up to his feet and saluted, “yes, sir! Thank you, sir!”_

 

_Lance thanked the stars that he only had ten minutes until lunch because he wouldn’t survive much longer without yelling in Hunk’s face. As soon as his class let out, he ran towards the cafeteria and found Hunk coming down the hallway from the opposite side. Lance caught his eye, gave him a big smile, and came hurtling towards him._

_“HUUUNK!!!” he yelled and Hunk’s eyes went wide with fear._

_“Lan--”_

_Before Hunk could even get his name out, Lance had tackled him in a hug that probably would have knocked anyone less sturdy over._

_“I made fighter pilot! There was a spot open and they’re bumping me up to fighter pilot!” Lance said, unable to contain his smile or the clear glee in his voice. Hunk caught on quickly and smiled brightly at him. He picked Lance up in a bone-crushing hug and spun him around a couple times for good measure._

_“Whoa, dude! That’s awesome! See? I always knew it would work out!” he said, putting Lance down, “you did it, buddy. You’re going to space!”_

_Words were escaping him, so Lance just screamed._

 

_With Keith leaving and some other student shuffling, fighter class teams were rearranged and groups were posted outside of the third-year lounge. Lance, still beyond excited to be promoted, looked at his name on the roster with uninhibited joy._

_“I made it! I’m a fighter pilot!” Lance said, for the hundredth time and still reveling in it. There was something about seeing his name on the board that made it all seem so real. Full of too much energy, Lance danced in front of the board while making up his own music._

_“Hasta la later, Keith!” he said with a little salute. After everything, Lance felt no remorse celebrating Keith’s expulsion because yeah, Keith may have been the most technically skilled pilot, but at least Lance could keep a cool head. He turned back to Hunk and the board, placed an arm on his shoulder, and pointed out Hunk’s name, “and look! you’re my engineer.”_

_“Cool! Uh, can I do that from the ground?” Hunk asked and Lance gave him an exasperated look. They’d been over this many times. S-class meant space exploration, so decidedly_ not _on the ground._

_Moving on, Lance looked back at the board, “And our communications officer is...who the heck is Pidge Gunderson?”_

_Lance should have at least recognized the name since it was a pretty elite school with a small student body, but he didn’t know this guy from Adam._

_“Right here.”_

_Hunk and Lance turned around to find a small, bespeckled boy standing in the hallway and looking a little nervous. Lance figured he must have been a transfer because he was positive now that he’d never seen him before._

_“Welcome to the team, Gunderson,” Lance said, trying to put Gunderson at ease, “I’m Lance, your fighter pilot.”_

_“Hey, I’m Hunk.”_

_“We’ve got a lot of great times ahead, so we should probably start bonding now,” Lance said, eager to get to know Pidge and form the best  team the Garrison’s ever seen. “What do you say to sneaking out to town? We could get pizza, meet some ladies. Oh! Or go to the arcade! They have_ Galaga and Centipede, _which, I don’t know if you’ve ever played but, they’re both about astronauts and--”_

_Lance cut himself short because it was clear that the new guy wasn’t listening to him, but was putting his left hand up in salute._

_“Wrong arm, cadet,” said Iverson, passing by and Lance and Hunk immediately stood at attention until he walked away, allowing them to relax again._

_“Hello? Pizza? Girls? Astronauts?” Lance asked, trying once again to get Pidge’s attention, but he moved away._

_“Sorry, I don’t have time to mess around with you guys. See you in the simulator,” he said and skittered off._

_Well, that wasn’t a great start._

_“What’s his problem?”_

 

_When Iverson said that fighter class was an intensive course, he wasn’t kidding and the two months that he lost in cargo class had certainly hurt him. The other pilots were pretty far ahead of him, but Lance tried not to let it get him down. He rode the high of being there for as long as he could and if he wasn’t feeling confident, well then he was going to fake it until he made it._

_Still, over the course of the school year, Lance was having difficulty making up the deficit. He may have been the best pilot in cargo class, but in fighter class, he was the worst and that was sometimes hard to ignore._

_The worst part was that he could see that Iverson was disappointed. It wasn’t that he was disappointed in_ Lance _per se, but by the fact that he was there in the first place. Keith had been the most talented pilot in their generation and Lance could feel Iverson lamenting that loss._

_He’d sometimes say something that would prove that theory, especially when Lance had finished a particularly bad run in the simulator._

_He’d say things like, “that’s the_ exact _kind of flying that kept you from making fighter class in the first place, McClain,” or, “At least we could count on Kogane to stick a landing,” or, “don’t forget that you’re only here because we booted Kogane.”_

_Those were the hardest days. The pressure to become a better pilot was pulverizing at times, and being compared to Keith was always a terrible feeling, but it would all be worth it if he could just graduate. Achieving your dream wasn’t supposed to be easy, otherwise it wouldn’t be a very good dream, he reminded himself._

_The thing was, Lance was actually getting to be a pretty good pilot, but he had a tendency to get caught up in the illusion of the simulator and would carry out grandiose ideas that didn’t really serve the mission. Among all these people who_ deserved _to be there, Lance had something to prove._

_Working with Hunk and Pidge was also harder than Lance expected it to be. Hunk, while a great engineer, was a ball of nerves in the simulator and could hardly hold his stomach for longer than a couple minutes. Pidge was able to keep his cool, but he was stubborn and didn’t like to take Lance’s orders, usually fighting him along the way. To be fair, Pidge was probably the smartest person he’d ever met, but Lance was stubborn in his own right and pushed against him, even when he probably should have taken the advice given._

_Pidge also seemed to completely lack knowledge of proper etiquette around superior officers. He sometimes didn’t know when to salute, didn’t realize he had to be dismissed before leaving, and, worst of all, he_ argued _with superior officers. Especially, when the Kerberos mission was brought up. The guy couldn’t keep his cool at all if anyone so much as breathed a word about it._

_Mix this all together and it amounted to a lot of crashed simulators and even more yelling from Iverson._

_After a particularly bad display of teamwork, and piloting on Lance’s part, Iverson told him, “I hope I don’t need to remind you that the only reason you’re here is the best pilot in your class had a discipline issue and flunked out. Don’t follow in his footsteps.”_

_No, Lance didn’t need reminding. So, he wasn’t going to follow in Keith’s footsteps. Iverson said they needed to work as a team? Then, fine, they’d work on it and become the best team the Garrison ever saw and Pidge was going to_ make _time for them._

_...which is what brought Lance and Hunk to the rooftop where Pidge was spouting nonsense about aliens and something called “Voltron” just before an actual alien ship crash landed right next to the Garrison._

_So, of course, they had to investigate. It was an alien ship!_

_They snuck off campus and found a cliff overseeing the crash site that gave them enough distance where they wouldn’t be seen._

_Lance was on lookout while Pidge surveyed their tech and Hunk freaked out. The alien ship was unlike any ship Lance had ever seen and the Garrison was definitely making a big deal about it with all the guards._

_“...They set up a camera in there and I grabbed its feed. Look!” Pidge said, pointing to the screen on his equipment._

_“_ Hey! What are you doing? _” a man strapped down on a gurney asked, clearly upset and anxious._

 _“_ Calm down, Shiro, _” said a medtech, “_ we just need to keep you quarantined until we run some tests on you. _”_

_Wait, Shiro? As in, Takashi Shirogane?_

_“_ You have to listen to me! They destroy worlds! Aliens are coming! _” Shiro said and Lance felt a shiver go through him. If you would have asked him an hour ago, Lance would have told you Shiro was off his rocker. Now, though? With an actual alien ship meters away? Lance was feeling more open to the possibilities._

_And, Shiro was alive? It had been nearly a year since he was proclaimed dead, but here he was in the flesh._

_“That’s Shiro! The pilot of the Kerberos mission! That guy’s my hero!” Lance said for the benefit of the group and finding himself more invested in their recon mission than ever before. Holy crow, he could actually meet_ Shiro _if he played his cards right._

 _They continued to watch as the medtechs basically ignored Shiro’s desperate pleas about some evil aliens and a weapon and_ Voltron _, but they didn’t listen. It was starting to feel like they were all in danger and the only one who knew anything about the impending threat was Shiro. Lance had seen enough sci-fi movies to know that you don’t just ignore the guy warning you about world-destroying aliens. Plus, it was_ Shiro. _He was a legend._

_“We have to get him out,” Pidge said and Lance didn’t hesitate to agree._

_The same couldn’t be said for Hunk._

_“I hate to be the voice of reason, always, but weren’t we just watching on TV because there was no way to get past the guards?”_

_“That was before we were properly motivated,” Lance said and man, was he motivated. Saving his hero from the likes of an oppressive government facility and going on to fight aliens? Where did he sign? “We’ve just got to think. Could we tunnel in?”_

_“Maybe we could get some hazmat suits and sneak in like med techs,” Pidge offered._

_"Or we dress up like cooks, sneak into the commissary... little late-night snack," Hunk suggested and Lance dismissed him._

_"No. What we need is a distraction."_

_Then, as if on cue, a series of explosions went off in the surrounding desert and startled them all to screaming._

_Hunk started babbling first, "Is that the aliens?! Are-the-the-is that the aliens?! Are they here?! They got here so quick!"_

_"No. Those explosions_ were _a distraction,” Pidge said, then pointed to a hoverbike-thing sneaking around to the crash site, “for him! The Garrison's headed towards the blast, and he's sneaking in from the other side!"_

_As the Garrison team drove off towards the explosions, Lance picked up the binoculars to get a better look at this new addition to the party and--oh no._

_Nuh uh. Absolutely not. Lance_ refused _._

 _If Lance wasn’t properly motivated before, then he_ definitely _was now._

 _"No way! Oh, he is not going to beat us in there! That guy is always trying to one-up me!" Lance said, more to himself than to anyone, but it was_ true. _Even after Keith couldn’t handle the heat at the Garrison, Lance was_ still _getting compared to him and it was making him look bad. Well, not today. This was Lance’s turn to shine and not just in the shadow that Keith cast on him, but full-on front-and-center stage shine time for Lancey-Lance._

_Before either Hunk or Pidge could talk him out of it, Lance was heading down to the cliff to the crash site._

_"Who is it?" Hunk asked from behind him._

_"Keith!"_

_"Who?" Pidge asked._

_Dismissing Pidge’s question, Hunk asked his own, "Are you sure?"_

_"Oh, I'd recognize that mullet anywhere!" Lance all but spit out. How could he not when_ _Lance was always, always chasing him? Lance was sick of it--so, so sick of it._

 _"Who's_ Keith _?!" Pidge asked again, but Lance didn’t answer. It was kind of refreshing that someone didn’t know who Keith was for once._

_They ran, Lance leading the pack with his long legs, straight to the weird Garrison-hospital-tent thing and went inside._

_When they finally got there, Keith was already hoisting Shiro out of the gurney--wait, did he knock out the three medtechs? Man, why did he always get to do something cool?!_

_Irritated that they didn’t beat Keith there, Lance pushed aside the gurney to get to Shiro. “Nope! No you--no, no, no. No, you don’t._ I’m _saving Shiro!”_

_Keith stared at him with the same blank look he always wore when Lance was courteous enough to speak to him._

_“Who are you?” Keith asked, as if it was a perfectly normal thing to ask someone you’ve known for_ three years _. Man, Lance hated this guy._

_“Who am I? Uh, the name’s Lance,” he said, blinking, “We were in the same class at the Garrison.”_

_“Really? Are you an engineer?”_

_It clicked for Lance that Keith was_ serious _. He didn’t know who Lance was after_ everything _. Resentment rose in him, thick and hot like lava, and it was paired with a sharp pang he’d become all too familiar with. It was the feeling that came with remembering that he was, apparently, completely and utterly forgettable, maybe even invisible._

 _“No, I’m a pilot! We were like, rivals. You know, ‘Lance and Keith, neck and neck,’” Lance said, still trying to pull the memory out of Keith because he couldn’t be_ that _dense, could he?_

_“Oh, wait. I remember you. You’re a cargo pilot.”_

_Okay, Lance_ hated _him. Lance_ really _hated him. Lance hated him so much he didn’t know how to deal with it. He would never, in his whole life, ever hate someone as much as he hated Keith Kogane. If it weren’t for the fact that he was holding up Shiro (which, side note, was one of the coolest things to happen to Lance ever), he just might have punched Keith. Okay, maybe not punch him, but spit in his face or something equally as unpleasant. The dude deserved it._

_“Well, not anymore. I’m fighter class now, thanks to you washing out,” Lance said, hoping he could wound Keith with the words, if only a little. Keith stared at him with his dumb, little broody look and started walking towards the exit._

_“Well, congratulations,” Keith said in his stupid, smarmy voice._

_And Lance_ hated _him._

 

Lance couldn’t help but laugh at the last memory. The Lance back then had no idea what real hate was, but the Lance now, the one who knew Lotor, knew better.

Still, so much had changed between him and Keith since then that it was kind of embarrassing remembering how they once were. Getting to know Keith had helped put a lot of his their interactions in perspective for Lance. He knew now that Keith actually did want to be close to people, but it wasn’t something he allowed himself to do often. Lance had figured out that Shiro was one of the few people he let in, so when he was declared dead, Keith went ballistic and everything Keith did right before he got expelled must have been the only way he knew how to express his grief.

It was pretty easy for Lance to forgive the whole “cargo pilot” line after he figured that out.

Now, what he _couldn’t_ forgive so easily was Keith completely forgetting him when they met again, but Lance got his redemption when he “forgot” a certain, “forgettable” bonding moment. Keith’s wide-eyed distraught face gave him more satisfaction than he’d like to admit, but it didn’t stop him from reveling in it.

Even if it meant not acknowledging a moment that maybe, _kind of_ mattered to him.

_Semantics._

The point was, Keith wasn’t as bad of a guy as he had thought and Lance could admit that he hadn’t always taken the high road in their interactions. He still didn’t, if he was honest.

It was just hard when, even now, he was still chasing after Keith, still hidden in his looming shadow. When they had to switch Lions, it was Keith who was chosen to lead, and Lance who had to fill in for him. Again.

Leaving Blue was hard when flying her felt like the only thing he could really claim as his. It was _Lance_ who had figured out how to bring down the particle barrier and it was _Lance_ who had a connection with a Lion for the first time. He always seemed to be coming in second, and Blue was the one time he hadn’t.

Lance sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

None of that was Keith’s fault, however, and Lance knew that now, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that no matter what he did, Keith would always be in a completely different league.

The bitterness he felt towards Keith for that had lost a remarkable amount of its bite after working together so much. It was kind of hard not to be friends with someone when you flew giant, sentient robot lions with them to defeat the worst evil the universe had ever known.

Was that what they were? Friends? The word had never really come up before, though he’d occasionally call Keith “buddy.” So, yeah. Yeah, they were friends. They even comforted each other sometimes and that seemed like pretty solid friend territory.

Lance remembered Keith’s grief-stricken look right after Shiro had tackled him and it was clear that Lance was just as possessed as ever. It was...Lance had never seen someone look at him like that--like he was _irreplaceable_ or something.

He was probably looking too much into it--the cell was making him too sentimental and wistful. If nothing else, he knew that Keith didn’t want him harmed or killed, so that was nice.

A small, barely-there smile found its way to Lance’s face as he thought about it.

 _I kinda miss him_ , he thought, but he quickly shook his head and amended it. _I miss all of them._

He felt his eyelids grow heavy as he saw them all in his mind’s eye: smiling and safe. More than anything, he just wanted to get back to them, to be in the safe warmth of the Castleship, and away from this dimly lit prison that dug into his soul a little every day.

 _They’re coming for you_ , Lance thought, his eyes closing, _they’re_ fighting _for you._

 _And you’re fighting for_ them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was kind of an odd chapter stylistically, so I hope you enjoyed it and my version of the Klance origin story. Listen, can I tell you a secret? I had such a hard time justifying why Keith wouldn't immediately remember Lance when they saw each other again. How could you forget Lance?!!? Oh well, hopefully it felt natural haha
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! If you enjoyed, I'd love to hear from you in the comments! Comments make my writing-powered muscles so strong!!
> 
> Next chapter is...a doozy.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The planet Nalquod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello demons, it's me...ya boi. Back at it again with another chapter ayyyyy. Sorry it's been so long since the last update! I've been working on a few projects that ate up my time, but I'm super happy to get back to Dark Blue--it's my baby :')
> 
> Notes:  
> 1.) As always, got to send so much love to my beta [Emma](http://riptidelance.tumblr.com/)!! She seriously did such an amazing job helping with this chapter like I can't even tell you SO! I LOVE YOU BINCH!  
> 2.) This fic hit 15k hits and whoa, that's awesome! Thank you all so, so, so much!!  
> 3.) We're over half-way done now! You can consider this chapter the end of season 2, if you will ;)  
> 4.) So, okay a whole season of Voltron happened during this hiatus, but I still don't know her and we're just stuck in this being a season three canon divergence forever. Like if I finish this before Voltron ends I'll be stoked. Also, you'll never get me to trust Lotor. Ever.  
> 5.) I don't think there's anything content warning worthy in this one, but there's a lot of battling. It's still pretty canon-typical and if you haven't had any issues with the previous chapters, you shouldn't with this one.  
> 6.) This chapter is 13.8k!
> 
> Enjoy!

**Dark Blue**

_Chapter Ten_

 

“...So, these are the schematics, huh?” Shiro asked, picking the little white ball off of Pidge’s work table and examining it. It was barely bigger than a golf ball, but it was smooth and perfectly spherical even with the small button on one of its sides. Shiro was rolling it through his fingers like a Chinese health ball when Matt snatched it from him.

“It’s one _part_ of the schematics,” he said, pressing the ball’s button. The schematics floated out of Matt’s palm to the center of the room and decorated it with blueprints of various mechanical Lion parts and scores of Altean symbols all lit up in a glowing seafoam green. “Lotor has the other two, but he needs this one if he really wants to know the secret behind Voltron.”

“So, what? They’re all different?”

“Yes, but it’s more than that,” Pidge said, popping up from her station to look at the schematics’ projections with a dreamy gleam in her eye. “Each schematic is a perfectly documented blueprint to not only _how_ Voltron works, but _why_.”

Matt, whose eyes were shining just as brightly as Pidge’s, stared at the projections as well. “The use of Quintessence as an energy source is, of course, genius and oh man, the _designs_ , the sheer _ingenuity_ of the the Lion’s basic infrastructure--”

“I know! It’s so sleek and efficient,” Pidge gushed.

“ _So_ efficient!”

Crossing his arms, Shiro sighed and patiently waited for the Holts to finish rambling about the wonders of Altean technology. He allowed himself a small smile, however; seeing Matt and Pidge together, after everything they’ve been through, was a sight to behold. Shiro had seen how hard both of them fought to see each other: Pidge spent countless sleepless nights searching for clues in confiscated data from Galran ships and Matt abandoned the new life he had made for himself on Phenlen to come with Shiro in an instant.  They deserved to be together again--it was nice to see that sometimes, the universe set things right.

“--and _this_ schematic,” Pidge continued, flicking her fingers through the hologram to find a particular sketch, “looks specifically at the right side of Voltron--the Red and Blue Lion, but they’re so interconnected with the other lions that we can only learn so much from one. It’s an inspired fail-safe, really. The only concrete information we can get from one schematic is the personalities and functions of these two Lions. Ugh, wish I could get my hands on the Green Lion’s schematics--I bet could make some serious improvements--”

“Pidge, what do you mean personalities and functions?” Shiro asked, cutting her off before she went too far down the rabbit hole.

“Oh, yeah!” Pidge said, brightening as she pulled up a blueprint of the Red Lion. “Basically, King Alfor recorded his findings on why each Lion chooses the Paladin that it does. When we first came to the Castle of Lions, Allura gave us the abridged version, but there’s a lot more to it than just ‘ _the leader goes to the Black Lion_ ’ and ‘ _the smart one goes to the Green Lion_ ’. It’s complex. Like, there was a reason it took the Lions 10,000 years to choose new Paladins after the original ones died. They needed the _perfect_ set of organisms to reanimate them, but of course there has to be some leeway there since Keith and Lance were able to--”

“Pidge.”

“Right, yeah. Sorry, Shiro. So, for instance, the Red Lion needs someone with a fiery conviction, someone quick to action who can handle the Red Lion’s temperament and match it with their own, but can also be a support to Black since they’re the one who follows out his commands directly with, y’know, the sword being Voltron’s main attack. So, Keith’s quintessence was a perfect match for that, but what’s really interesting,” Pidge started, pulling up the blueprint for the Blue Lion, “is King Alfor’s notes on the Blue Lion. It serves a really different function than the rest. Obviously, the left side of Voltron is defensive since my Lion holds the shield and the Yellow Lion has the strongest armor out of them all, so then, naturally the right side is meant for offensive attacks. The Red Lion, as the arm that holds the sword, is pretty obvious, but what about the Blue Lion?

“Technically, it serves a similar function as the Yellow Lion being a leg, but Alfor made extensive notes on the special role the Blue Lion and Blue Paladin play in Voltron--The Blue Lion is the ‘Guardian Spirit of Water’: it’s meant to be adaptable and well-rounded. It doesn’t really have any one particular strength; it’s not as fast as the Red Lion and it’s armor isn’t as strong as the Yellow Lion’s, but it’s the only Lion that’s programmed to be more accepting of new Paladins.”

“So, wait, does that mean Blue can work with a Paladin whose quintessence doesn’t match their own?” Matt asked, leaning in to get a better look at the blueprint.

“Well, they can all work with a different Paladin if need be, obviously, but according to the schematics, the Blue Lion is the one who can take on substitute Paladins, like Allura. It’s a system that takes into account that Voltron is a war machine and that a death or serious injury among Paladins is likely, so there has to be a way to allow for substitutes to come in, even if their quintessence isn’t a perfect match.”

“Well, what does that mean for the Blue Lion’s Paladin?” Shiro asked.

“The Blue Paladin needs to be just as adaptable as their Lion, so they have the kind of Quintessence that can work with _all_ the Lions. That way, the Blue Paladin can go wherever they’re needed most and the Blue Lion can take on a substitute. Alfor even theorized that Blue finding her initial Paladin would be harder than the others because someone who could mesh with all five Lions is exceedingly rare and it’s probably why it took 10,000 years for Voltron to be formed again,” Pidge said, then scoffed, ”but don’t tell Lance that or he’s ego will--”

Cutting herself off, Pidge’s body language changed abruptly. The hand that was pointing to different areas on the holographic schematics came down and her head and shoulders slumped.

“Katie?” Matt asked, taking a couple cautious steps towards her. “Everything okay?”

Pidge craned her head away from Matt and brought a sleeved arm to wipe at her eyes. Shiro felt his heart squeeze at the sight and he suddenly had an inkling as to why she stopped her speech.

“Yeah, I-I’m fine. I just...got to thinking about what would happen if the initial Blue Paladin was the one who, y’know…”

“Oh, Pidge…”

Shiro and Matt’s eyes locked in shared concern and a silent conversation. Taking a breath, Shiro stepped up behind Pidge and placed his hand on her shoulder. At this angle he could see the tears bunching up at the corner of her eyes and he was struck by how strong she had been through this.

“I just don’t want to keep losing people…”

“We’ll get him back, Pidge.”

“But what if we _don’t_?” she asked, her shoulders hiking up to her ears.

“Katie--” Matt started, but was cut off.

“And Keith’s right! There are so many things that could go wrong with the plan. Lotor might hurt Lance before we even get a chance to help him, Corina might not get the message in time, and then there’s _Keith_! Having him go after Lance is a terrible idea--all they do is fight! But we need everyone else to stay where they are and obviously _I_ can’t do it because every time I talk to Lance I say something _mean_ even though he’s always been nice to me and now he’s--”

“Whoa, whoa hold on, Pidge,” Shiro said, holding her shoulder tighter and interrupting her rambling before she could spiral any further. “Look, the plan is risky. We all know that, but it’s also solid. We’ll get him back and as soon as we do, you should show Lance what you found here. I bet it would mean a lot to him coming from you.”

At that, Pidge lifted her head to look at Shiro and examined him through tear-sheened eyes before allowing herself to give him a small smile. Shiro gave her one of his own and he was suddenly very grateful to be back on the castle ship.

“You’re right,” she said, her voice quiet, but unwavering and she turned her attention back to the schematics, standing a little taller now. “Thanks, Shiro. It’s really good to have you back.”   

Shiro lifted his hand from her shoulder and felt his smile grow at the words.

“Good to be back,” he said, crossing his arms. “So, got any more good intel for us?”

With a final wipe of her eyes, Pidge flicked through the schematics until landing on a block of Altean text and zooming in. “My Altean is still pretty rusty, so we’ll have to ask Allura and Coran to be sure, but Alfor mentions the strength he and Blaytz had with their lions before and after something he calls the Trials of Ish’teer. Apparently, there’s a way to measure how bonded you are to your Lion and Alfor and Blaytz both became significantly closer to their Lions after--”

“Pidge!”

Matt, Pidge, and Shiro all looked over to the entrance of the room and found Coran there, looking more serious than Shiro had ever seen him.

“Coran?” Shiro asked, trying to account for the sudden tension in Coran’s shoulders and the tired look in his eyes.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve detected a ship approaching Nalquod’s atmosphere. It should be here in a few dobashes. I’ve alerted the others already.”

Shiro felt his stomach drop in the familiar way it always did before they were about to have a risky battle, but he swallowed it down and turned to Pidge and Matt. “Suit up, team.”

They nodded and rushed to follow orders.

Clad in their armor with Bayards in hand, they lined up in front of the Blue Lion’s shrine to greet the black ship that got closer and closer to the surface of the planet. Allura and Hunk were center, while Shiro and Keith were to their right, and the holts flanked their left. Coran was strategically placed in the castle in case they needed to make a quick getaway, but he had been commanded not to use the castle’s weapons since he could end up hurting Lance in the process.

All was silent except for a slight wind that passed through the dead, barren planet and it whistled through the surrounding rock formations like an ominous sort of overture. The five Paladins and Matt kept their gazes upward--eyes locked on the ship that held both a great enemy and a great friend.

The inevitability of a tough battle weighed heavy on Shiro’s heart and he ached for the soldiers next to him who, if he was honest, were too young to be in such a situation. Shiro had seen the ugliest side of this war after being taken prisoner and he hated that these _cadets_ were exposed to it. Now, more than ever, he was painfully aware of how young his fellow Paladins were--that their youth was being sapped from them by a sinister war they have no choice but to fight in.

Ridding himself of the thoughts, Shiro took a deep breath to focus himself and curled his Galran hand into a fist, preparing himself to use it.

“Shiro,” Keith whispered next to him. The ship would be landing in just a minute now. “Are you sure this is going to work?”

He spared Keith a glance and saw the thinly-veiled worry in his eyes as he tried to appear calm.

Shiro sighed. “We can’t ever be a hundred percent sure, Keith, but I believe it is. I trust the plan, I trust the team, and I trust you. Sometimes, the best thing a leader can do is have faith.”

Keith’s eyes widened at that, but then hardened into the unshakeable determination that was so unmistakably his own and he gave Shiro a curt nod. “Yeah.”

They both went back to looking at the sky and the ship was close enough now that gusts of air were slamming against their armor, but they all stood their ground against it. The ship gracefully landed in front of them and Shiro could feel all of them standing straighter as it whirred down.

Then, after several long, torturous seconds, the hangar door started to open.

* * *

As the hangar door of the comet ship descended, Lotor gently clasped his hands behind his back and took a steadying breath. He would not let the Paladins of Voltron shake him, though truth be told, he was nervous. With another deep inhale, he reminded himself that he had the upper hand, that out of the two sides it was his that had the trump card.

The trump card in question stood next to him. Lance, once again under Lotor and Narti’s spell, flanked Lotor like a perfect little soldier with his Bayard in hand, ready for combat at Lotor’s command.

 _I have nothing to worry about_ , Lotor told himself. As long as Voltron was a gang of weak-willed sentimentalists, Lotor would always be able to overpower them.

“Do not engage in combat,” Lotor started, glancing behind him to address his generals. “At least, not at first. It’s very likely we’ll be able to obtain the schematic without any personal injury. Do not provoke them.”

Acxa, Ezor, and Narti all nodded, but Zethrid’s face scrunched into an angered pout.

“You mean we’re really not going to get a chance to rip them apart?”

“All in good time, Zethrid.”

Zethrid was about to respond, but she cut herself off as the hangar door finally hit Nalquod’s surface.

The Paladins all stood in a line, barricading themselves in front of the massive blue lion head that seamlessly attached itself to Nalquod’s azure soil. Lotor examined the party in front of him and noticed that there were two extras among their ranks. One looked suspiciously like Kuron and Lotor felt himself sneer at the figure.

 _So,_ that’s _where our prisoner went,_ Lotor thought and he briefly wondered if the extra, clad in Rebellion clothes, was responsible for the prison break.

The Paladins braced themselves for a fight and prepared their Bayards for combat, but Lotor kept on a calm facade and commanded himself to keep an easy, unbothered presence as he strolled down the ramp to his ground.

Lance and his generals followed quietly and when Lotor stopped a good yard away from the Paladins, they fanned out to either side him with Lance on his immediate right.

For several ticks, they all stared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. He could see a couple of the Paladins tense and glare in anger as they observed their possessed friend and Lotor grew more confident with every passing moment. They cared far too much for the boy; they wouldn’t let any harm come to him.

With a clear, proud voice, Lotor greeted, “Paladins! So nice of you to wait on us.”

“Let’s skip the formalities, Lotor,” said the Paladin Lotor assumed was Shiro. “We’re not interested in your games.”

“There’s always time for formalities, Paladin. But, of course, I’m sure the Paladins of Voltron have no time to waste, so I’ll be blunt--we’ll hand over your comrade to you, unharmed, if you give us the schematics.”

As soon as Lotor made his offer, he noticed the Black Paladin--Keith--shift where he stood. Eyeing him closer, Lotor saw that he was holding his Bayard in his right hand, but clutched something fiercely in his left. Through Keith’s black-gloved hands, Lotor saw patches of white and knew it was the schematics.

“We will do no such thing,” said a commanding voice and Lotor shifted his attention from Keith to the its owner--Princess Allura. “You will return the Red Paladin to us unharmed and in return we shall let you leave this planet with all of your limbs still attached.”

Lotor couldn’t help but smirk at her for such a threat; it was bold and frightening, but it was also empty.

“I’d expect nothing less from the daughter of King Alfor, but I’m afraid I have to refuse. You see,” Lotor started before grabbing Lance by the bicep with one hand and his blaster with the other. Roughly, Lotor place the barrel to Lance’s temple and smiled wider as the Paladins gasped and fidgeted at the action. “ _I’m_ the one with leverage, Princess, and I’ll be the one making demands.”

The Black Paladin scowled at him with bared teeth and he made a motion to move, but Shiro placed an arm in front of him.

“If you so much as put a scratch on him, you will not be leaving this planet alive, Lotor,” the Princess said, her own scowl almost as menacing as Keith’s.

Lotor yanked Lance closer and pressed the barrel harder into his temple. “I have nothing to gain from bluffing, Paladins. Hand over the schematics now or I shoot your friend and take it from you by force.”

Surveying their faces, all of the Paladins looked murderous and ready to pounce, but still they stayed rooted to their spots.

 _They must realize by now that I have no use for the Red Paladin now that all the schematics have been uncovered_ , Lotor thought. Would they really be so cold as to let him kill their friend? They were plenty of species in the galaxy Lotor could name that would be so cold, but Voltron was not among their ranks.

And, truly, Lotor would kill the Paladin if they didn’t meet his demands. Lance was only useful to him now as a bargaining chip and if he wasn’t any help there, then his death would at least make it harder for the Paladins to form Voltron. As it was, Lotor would end up trying to kill him again anyway--this was only a momentary truce and if Voltron wanted Lance dead sooner rather than later, Lotor was happy to oblige.

Lotor turned his attention back to Keith.

“Black Paladin! Unless you want Lance’s blood on your hands, I would give me what you have in your hand there. I’ll give you five ticks.”

In response the Black Paladin made a sound like a growl and tightened his grip around the little white ball in his fist.

“Do not be so naïve to believe I will not do what I say. Five…”

A whimper and a shiver from the Yellow Paladin.

“Four…”

The Green Paladin made to move, but the unknown man besider her held her back with a hand on her shoulder.

“Three...:”

The Princess transformed her Bayard into its combat form and Lotor knew that a battle was inevitable if they didn’t stop him soon.

“Two…”

Shiro was holding Keith’s bicep now, but there was a terrified look in his eye that Lotor could only interpret one way--they were never going to hand over the schematics and Lance was going to be the unfortunate sacrifice.

Fine, then. He’d make it awful for them. He’d shoot Lance’s temple and then send five more blasts into his unmoving corpse, just so that he really got the idea across.  

Lotor readied his finger over the trigger, preparing for the fight that would break out as soon as the deed was done.

“One--”

Then, a searing hot pain hit his wrist with such intensity that it made him cry out and drop the blaster at his feet. He quickly grabbed at his wrist and saw the disintegrated armor there. His skin was discolored and burned, but the blast might have taken off his entire wrist if not for the protection. He quickly turned around to find the source of--what he assumed was--the shot from a blaster as he was sure it didn’t come from any of the Paladins in front of him.

There, standing behind Lotor with the same cold, calculating look he had gotten to know so well over the deca-phoebs was Acxa with her weapon trained on him.

 _Acxa_.

Lotor felt his eyes widen and a sudden panic hit his chest.

Something--something had gone wrong. Something he couldn’t account for at all.

Time had slowed down in the moment it took for Acxa to shoot him and for him to realize it was her, and in that bubble of a moment everything was very still as they all looked on at the traitor.

But time sped back up as a din of battle cries and fired weapons filled the air, forcing Lotor to push Acxa from his mind for now. He saw a snap of Altean glow from the Princess’s Bayard hurtling towards him and he was almost too late to defend, but he jumped out of the way just in time.

“Keith! Move, now!” the Princess yelled and Lotor watched as the Black Paladin gave a decisive nod and started sprinting away from his team, towards the side of the shrine.

 _No, no, no, no, no,_ Lotor thought as he saw Ezor throw her projectiles at Axca.

This was all some elaborate plan by the Paladins and they somehow had gotten Acxa on their side and the schematics were _getting away_. He had to think quickly; their chances of success had just plummeted, but he wouldn’t stop while he still had a chance. Making a split second decision, Lotor called out to Lance who was standing idly by with eyes filled with magenta smoke.

“Lance! Retrieve the schematics from Keith! Kill him if you have to!” Lotor shouted as Allura sent another barrage of attacks his way.

Like a good puppet, Lance followed his orders.

* * *

 

Lance took after Keith.

His body went into a full-on sprint to catch up to him, but Keith already had a significant lead. The spell cast over Lance hardly cared as it made him run faster, but Lance resisted, like he always did. He pushed against the calves and thighs that propelled him forward, but he gained on Keith anyway.

He was getting close enough now that his body decided he was within firing distance and it pulled out his Bayard to take aim at Keith’s ankles.

 _No! Not again. I won’t let you!_ Lance screamed at himself, doing everything in his power to throw his shots off and the first blast he sent missed by a long shot. Luckily, shooting while running was incredibly difficult on a good day, let alone on one where your consciousness was actively fighting against you.

Keith craned his neck to look back at him and as soon as his eyes met Lance’s, he turned his gaze forward and kept running, leading them well past the shrine and towards the cliff’s edge of the rock formation they were on.

 _God, Keith, what are you doing?_ Lance wondered as he took another shot at him and missed. Lance wracked his brain for possible ideas since it was clear that they all had a plan. Lance wasn’t a hundred percent sure what happened earlier, but he was pretty sure Acxa shot Lotor for some reason and somehow, the team was in on it. He knew they’d never sacrifice him for the schematics, even though Lance thought they probably should. He knew that Lotor having all three schematics would doom the universe, but still, Lance was sure they had a plan, even as Lotor’s blaster left an imprint on the side of his head. So, if they had a plan, there must be a reason why Keith was leading them so far away from where the others were surely fighting.

Then, it hit him--Lotor’s power over him weakened with distance. Keith was going to try and break him free from the spell again and this time, they had a clear advantage. Even as the thought entered his mind, Lance could _feel_ Lotor’s distance and distraction. If he just focused, he could do this.

With a renewed sense of energy and optimism, Lance fought and pulled against his body with as much power as he could muster. Keith was quickly running out of places to flee as the cliff was steadily getting closer and closer.

Lance’s body sent another wave of blasts at Keith, but the growing distance between him and Lotor was helping Lance to make his own hands shaky and unreliable.

 _We’ve got this, we’ve_ got _this,_ Lance thought, his heart beat skyrocketing from the exercise and the sheer, shining hope that he was going to be _free_.

Finally, Keith reached the edge of the blue cliff and halted just feet away from the drop-off. He turned heel-toe to face Lance--face flushed, breath labored, and his eyebrows set in a hard determination that was just so unbelievably _Keith_ that it made Lance ache a little. He really missed that hothead.

Keith was rooted to the spot, waiting for Lance, and Lance continued to push against his body from running, but a part of him had given up on that particular pursuit, because now that Keith had stopped, surely his body would too.

But it didn’t.

Instead, it kept running towards Keith at full-force and it took Lance a few seconds to realize what his body was doing.

 _NO!_ Lance commanded, resisting once again--resisting so hard it felt like he was ripping his muscles from the inside out, but he couldn’t slow down.

He watched as Keith’s eyes widened in panic as Lance barreled towards him and he felt his legs kick off the ground. He flew threw the air and his arms spread like wings to wrap around Keith, who was too stunned to think of a counter attack.

Then, Lance made contact and tackled Keith, causing them both to fall off the cliff’s edge.

* * *

 This was a _terrible_ plan--one of the absolute worst one’s Acxa had ever been a part of. The amount of moving variables was far too high and what was worse, it stuck Acxa in a fight with Ezor--the one person in all the Galra empire that Acxa truly didn’t want to go up against.

Over the deca-phoebs that Acxa had been under Lotor’s command, she had formed an unwilling attachment to Ezor. She was childish and often naive, but that’s what made her so unnervingly likable. She wasn’t like Zethrid or Narti; she didn’t join Lotor to take over the rest of the known-universe--she just wanted a place to belong. She wanted a team, a family, and Acxa couldn’t fault her for that. Half-Galra weren’t really accepted anywhere--The Galra found them useless and non-Galran societies hated them as much as if they were full-Galra. Ezor wasn’t evil like the others. She was just lonely.

Acxa could empathize.

“So, what? You were just a traitor the entire TIME?!” Ezor shouted as she threw one of her projectiles right at Acxa’s face. Moving just in the knick of time, the projectile grazed Acxa’s hair and clipped a little off at the end. She responded back with a succession of quick shots at Ezor which she easily dodged with her lithe body. Acxa made it a point to keep as much distance from Ezor as possible; her long-ranged attacks were threatening, but she became downright deadly when you let her get close.

Acxa made a point to not answer Ezor’s question since no answer would ever satisfy her, but this only seemed to stoke her anger.

“First, you shoot at Lotor,” Ezor started, sending another projectile her way, but Acxa shot it down in time, “and now you’re giving me the silent treatment? Real mature, Axca--if that’s even your real name.”  

Acxa felt her eyes narrow at Ezor as she sent a few more blasts her way, but Ezor only took it as an opportunity to jump into the air and close the distance between them. With a small gasp, Acxa tried to back up, but Ezor didn’t give her any opportunity as she quickly sank down in front of Acxa and immediately went to kick her feet from beneath her.

Acxa felt her feet leave the ground from the blow and her back slam against the hard blue soil of the planet. Too quickly, Ezor was on top of her and bearing down one of her small knives to Axca’s right eye. Acxa grabbed at her wrist and fought against Ezor with all her strength. Zethrid was always considered the muscle of the group, but Ezor’s strength was nothing to scoff at either.

They struggled for several ticks, both of them baring their teeth from the exertion, until Ezor finally spoke. “I trusted you, you know. I considered you a friend!”

And Acxa could see the real hurt in Ezor’s blue eyes and for a moment she felt a pang of guilt deep in her chest.

“I did too,” Acxa said before she could stop herself and despite her better judgement.

“Then, _why_?!” Ezor all but yelled.

“You know why, Ezor! He’ll destroy planets, enslave entire colonies, bring ruin to the universe!”

“He wants to _save_ the universe!”

“We both know you’re too smart for that! I know you know what he is, what he’s capable of.”

“He took me in. He took _both_ of us in--”

“As weapons! As means to an end!” Acxa said and Ezor threw all her strength back into the knife which now hovered dangerously close to Acxa’s eye.

“Stop it!”

“You know I’m right, Ezor!”

“You’re not!” Ezor said, her face twisted into a mix of anger and fear. She continued to press her weight into her hand as Acxa pressed back up against it, trying desperately to keep the knife up and away.

And Acxa’s arm strength was starting to leave her as she panted and struggled to keep Ezor at bay.

There had always been the possibility that when Acxa finally came out from undercover, she wouldn’t actually make it back to Phenlen alive, but she never thought her death would be at the hands of Ezor.

As the knife trembled only a mere centimeter from her face, Acxa closed her eyes and braced for the inevitable pain she was about to endure.

But it didn’t come. Instead, there was a loud _THWACK,_ a grunt from Ezor, and the sudden disappearance of the weight on top of her.

Snapping her eyes open, Acxa looked up and saw her savior standing above her--Matt Holt.

“Nice to finally meet you in person, Corina,” Matt said with a smirk before a projectile came whizzing by, just missing his face.

“Matt!” called a young, high-pitched voice that Acxa recognized as the Green Paladin’s. Acxa and Matt both followed the sound of her voice and found her attempting to stun Ezor with her retractable Bayard, but Ezor was far too quick for it.

Hastily, Ezor made her way to her feet as Matt rushed in to fight beside his sister. Seeing an opportunity, Acxa decided to assess the battlefield as it was.

Narti was down with her hands bound behind her back a fair distance away and Acxa assumed that the Holt siblings had taken her down. Her eyes found Zethrid next--angered and explosive, she fought against Shiro and the Yellow Paladin, both of whom were giving her considerable trouble.

Closer, Lotor was engaged in a fierce, even-looking battle with Princess Allura that Acxa was tempted to interfere with. Princess Allura was far too important of a player in the Rebellion to die on a deserted planet like Nalquod. She seemed to be holding her own, however, so Acxa decided she would help take care of Ezor first.

Acxa scanned the lay of the land one last time and noticed that Lance and the Black Paladin were nowhere in sight.

 _Good_ , she thought, preparing her blaster. _I just might make it back to Phenlen alive, after all._

* * *

Lotor was the toughest opponent Allura had ever faced. He was whip-quick, unfathomably strong, and he seemed to predict her every move before she even thought to do it. Their fight went in a circles: offensive action countered by a defensive block, and it took all of Allura’s skill to keep him at bay.

So far, the plan seemed to be going in their favor as Lotor had done what they’d hoped and sent Lance after Keith, but the plan had run its course. Now, it was all about beating the opponents in front of them and Allura was struggling on her end.

 _Focus_ , she told herself as she narrowly dodged a swipe from Lotor’s sword aimed at her shoulder. She retaliated by sending her Bayard toward Lotor’s ankles, hoping that it would wrap around one so she could pull and get him off of his feet, but once again, Lotor anticipated the move and blocked her Bayard with his sword.

“You really do live up to all expectations, Princess Allura. It’s clear that you’re your father’s daughter. Passionate,” Lotor said, bringing down his sword for another attack, “resourceful,” another swing from Lotor and dodge from Allura, “ _reckless,_ ” he finished with a hard swipe at her torso. She jumped back just in time and whipped her Bayard at Lotor’s sword but he batted it away with ease.

 _My Bayard is virtually useless against a sword_ , she realized. It was too easy to defend against and had limited options with a savvy opponent like Lotor.

“And you are clearly your father’s son,” she started, hoping to distract him a little, then came back at him with several slashes of her Bayard cutting through the air, “vile,” another slash, “malignant,” and another, “ _evil_.”

The barrage of attacks finally seemed to be affecting him as he braced himself against them, using his sword as a shield. Still, he smirked.

“While all that may be true of my father, I am hardly evil.”

“Anyone who works to aid the Galra Empire is evil!” Allura said, sending another whip of her Bayard towards him, but this time, he grabbed its end in his hand. Allura pulled against it, but Lotor’s pull was stronger and the force of it sent her falling to the ground face-down.

Quickly letting go, he hovered over Allura and plunged his sword towards the center of her back, but she rolled away just as it was about to impale her. She rushed to her feet and braced herself once again.

Lotor pulled his sword from the ground and approached her, still with a sickening grin on his face. “Come now, you’re only looking at it from a certain perspective. The truth of it is, Princess--the Galra have already won. Even if you do leave here alive with the schematics, your efforts will be fruitless.”

Allura grimaced at him and swiped at him with a grunt, which he easily deflected.

“The Galra outnumber you and outpower you a thousand times over. We _will_ rule over the universe, there’s no changing that, but what we can change is what that rule will look like. I plan to rule the universe with a kind, but steady hand. I am not my father.”

“There is no such thing as kind imperialism!” Allura snarled, her nose scrunching up to show her teeth. At that, Lotor scoffed and charged at her with his sword swinging. Thinking fast, she grabbed a section of her Bayard and pulled it taut to make a makeshift shield, not able to pull her conventional one up in time.

Lotor’s sword came clanging down against it and he pressed down hard, pushing all of his weight into her. She braced herself in a defensive stance and grit her teeth as she pushed back, her biceps burning with the effort.

“Maybe so,” Lotor started, his voice straining, “but there is certainly a difference between mercy and cruelty. My father was only capable of one, while I possess capacity for both. Accept it, Princess. No amount of fighting will change the universe’s fate now. Voltron or not.”

Allura grunted while Lotor continued to push down against her Bayard and her arms started to shake as her muscles started to reach their limit, but she would fight to the last.

“As long as Voltron exists, there will always be hope for the universe,” she said, her voice stronger-sounding than she felt; her arms were getting so tired.

“You talk of Voltron like it’s a god, but in reality, it’s just a large weapon in the possession of those too weak to fully use it. What happens when I kill you, Princess? Would Voltron really be able to defend the universe then?”

“We both know the power of Voltron. You wouldn’t be pursuing the schematics, otherwise.”

“Oh, I fully understand the potential of Voltron, but it could not have landed in less capable hands than it has now. I’ve studied you and your so-called Paladins and I’ve seen you for what you are--naïve children. Naïve children who think they can save the universe with enough teamwork and good will, but we both know that’s not how wars are won.”

And to illustrate his point, he braced down even harder on Allura and made her feet dig into the soil. Allura was sweating and clenching her jaw so tightly her teeth began to hurt, but she kept her arms raised. She realized quickly that she was not going to last much longer in a strength contest against Lotor and she had a feeling the others were far too busy with their own battles to intervene.

Which was good, in its own way. Allura had near demanded to take on Lotor by herself and there was still a stubborn, reckless part of her that wanted to beat him on her own. She was her father’s daughter, and Lotor was the son of her father’s murderer. Allura was the only one allowed to defeat him.

Though, with her arms weakening with every tick, Allura was starting to doubt that she would get retribution, but a repeat of history instead.

 _No, not like this_ , she thought and let her eyes close for just a moment. _Father, what would you do?_

Then, madly, a memory of her father from when she was young flashed in her mind.

_It was a memory from a few deca-phoebs before Zarkon betrayed them, a time when all Allura knew was peace and happiness. She and her father were having one of their regular counseling sessions where he would take time out of his busy schedule to properly prepare Allura for the day she would rule Altea. Sometimes, these sessions meant accompanying her father to diplomacy meetings with the leaders of neighboring planets, or combat training, or studying intricate battle strategies in the castle library._

_But on that day, it meant walking side-by-side through a field of Juniberry flowers. Her father always said that it was important to take time to acknowledge how lucky they were and to appreciate all the gifts their planet gave them--like the beauty of Juniberry flowers._

_“Allura, do you know_ why _it’s important that we do this?” her father asked as she smiled at a little bloom just now starting to spread its petals. She looked up at him and cocked her head in thought._

_“Because...it’s important to know the strengths and weaknesses of our planet and society? So we know what’s working and what isn’t? So we can make Altea an even better place to live?” she asked, not quite confident in the answer. Her father smiled kindly at her, then placed a hand atop her head to give it a little ruffle._

_“Leave it to you to find an even more eloquent answer than the one I was thinking of,” he said with a delighted laugh. “Yes, that’s a very good reason, but there’s something else. Something a little simpler.”_

_“What is it?”_

_“Where do you think strength comes from?”_

_This was typical of her father’s lessons--answering questions with even more questions-- but Allura knew he did it to make her think critically, something he believed was a skill every leader should have. So, Allura thought about it critically. She thought about all her sessions with her father and all the times she felt that strength was intrinsically part of it._

_“Strength comes from...training and studying, working towards being your best self.”_

_“Ah, now I would say those_ feed _strength, make you stronger, but where does strength_ come _from? Why do you work towards being your best self?”_

_Allura knitted her brows in deep thought. “To...be a good leader? So I can protect Altea?”_

_“Yes! Protection, but_ why _do you want to protect Altea?”_

_“I…” Allura started, but this question had stumped her a bit. Protecting Altea was always just a given. “I don’t know.”_

_Again, her father smiled kindly at her._

_“Do you want to know why I protect Altea, Allura?”_

_She nodded._

_“I protect Altea, because I_ love _Altea. I love the Altean people, I love the Altean sky, and I love the Altean Juniberry fields. It’s the place I was born and the place my beautiful daughter was born. My strength, Allura, comes from love and that’s where I want your strength to come from too. I don’t want you to lead Altea because you were born to, I want you to lead because you_ want _to, because you want to keep all this safe. Does that make sense?”_

_Allura gazed at her father in awe and felt pride well in her chest. The solution really was so simple, but the answer made her smile wide at her father._

_“Yes, father! You’re right, I hadn’t realized, but I want to protect Altea because it’s where you and mother and Coran are. And the Juniberry fields!” she said, plucking a flower and placing it behind her father’s ear. The gesture made him laugh one of his warm, hearty laughs Allura only heard when her father was particularly happy and it caused her to giggle right along with him._

_Out of all the skills her father was keen on her learning, Allura knew that loving Altea would be the easiest to pick up--she was already a natural._

Allura felt her eyes gloss over from the memory and, to some extent, the strain on her body as she continued to brace herself against Lotor’s looming sword.

 _What are you fighting for, Allura? What do you want to protect?_ A voice, one that sounded so much like her father’s, asked in her mind as she grunted and held tighter onto her Bayard.

She thought of Pidge, so small and so smart, but so determined to find her family again. She thought of Shiro and the way he stayed so steady and calm, no matter how he was truly feeling, because he knew how much the others looked to him for guidance. She thought of Hunk and how he had cried desperately for his lost best friend. She thought of Keith who ran as fast as he could to the Black Lion when Shiro disappeared and ran just as fast after Lance to get him back. She thought of Coran who loved her more than anything, just as if she were his own daughter.

And she thought of Lance--she thought of him happy and bright with a smile on his face and a witty line on his tongue. She thought of how he protected Coran from a bomb and passed on the Blue Bayard to her with nothing but encouraging words.

She looked up at Lotor with his insidious purple eyes and remembered how he had forced Lance to hurt his best friend, tried to make Lance _kill_ him.

And, suddenly, the burning in her muscles wasn’t so bad anymore and her knees didn’t seem to be in danger of buckling. In fact, Lotor was the one who was getting pushed back now, not her.

“I may still be a child,” she said, forcing Lotor back a little more as his eyes widened just a fraction, “but I am also Princess Allura of Altea, daughter of King Alfor, and Paladin of the Blue Lion, and I will no longer allow you to hurt the universe or my _family_.”

Then, on her last word, Allura’s Bayard began to glow beneath her fingers.

Gasping, Lotor’s eyes filled with fear as he jumped back, and broke the tension between their weapons. Allura removed the hand that held her Bayard by its middle and watched as the length seemed to retract and transform until it settled on a broader, sharper shape.

The white glow faded to reveal a heavy scimitar in Allura’s hands and she noticed that the blade repeated--it was not a single sword, but two. She brought a second hand to the handle and separated the two blades so that she was now dual-wielding them, just as Blaytz had done 10,000 years ago.

She smirked as realized how the odds had turned in her favor. Blaytz had trained her for years in the art of dual-wielding scimitars and if there was ever an advantage against a sword, it was _two_ swords.

Allura felt a new surge of confidence flow through her as she spun the blades in her hand and new purpose fill her chest--she had something she wanted to protect, something she loved.

Lotor stared at her and then her new Bayard form with a grimace, but Allura didn’t give him time to gawk for long. She spun towards him with blades protecting her body and made a swipe towards his middle, which he narrowly defended against with his sword.

She slid one sword away from his and made a swipe at his shoulder, but he dodged again, though he became distracted and she was able to use the second sword to hit against his and send him staggering back. It quickly became a dance between them as Allura made calculated and swift swings at Lotor that were starting to overwhelm him.

Allura could see a hint of panic in his eyes as he grunted through every evasive action and she grew more sure of herself with every strike of her swords on his.

Eventually, Allura found the opening she had been working towards and used the butt of her scimitar to knock Lotor’s sword clean out of his hand. Lotor made a small gasp as his eyes followed the flying sword and Allura took advantage of his carelessness.

With all the strength she could muster, Allura let out a battle cry, then took both her blades and crashed them into Lotor’s torso from the side.

The force of the attack cracked through a good portion of his armor and he fell to the ground as he let out a groan of agony.

Clutching at his side, he glared at Allura with bared teeth and directed an open, splayed palm towards her. Allura recognized the gesture from when Haggar attacked her before Shiro disappeared and she crossed her arms in front of her in defense.

She felt a warm, familiar sensation spread all over her body as she watched Lotor direct his purple quintessence right at her. She braced herself for impact, but only felt a dense pressure as the quintessence seemed to be absorbed by her own, which glowed pink and coated her like a second layer of armor.

“Im-impossible!” Lotor said with wide eyes. Allura responded by shoving her blade a fraction away from his face.

And in the distance, a Lion roared.

* * *

Keith hit the ground with a hard, solid thud--a sound that was quickly followed by his own cry of pain.

It was Lance who had tackled him, sending them both flying over the edge of a cliff and completely ruining Keith’s plan to free him. The idea was to get Lance as far away from Lotor as possible, immobilize him, and talk him out of it. So, when Keith brought them to the edge of the rock formation they were on, he naturally never thought possessed Lance would be so determined as to drop them both off _a cliff_.

Luckily, the cliff was only a few stories high and even more luckily, Keith reacted fast enough to activate the jetpack on his armor. With Lance’s weight on top of him, it only served to slow them down and soften the blow, but Keith might’ve had far worse injuries if he hadn’t thought of it.

As it was, Keith had definitely gotten the wind knocked out of him and there was a searing, sharp pain in his shoulder that he was pretty sure meant he’d dislocated it. Keith attempted to move his arm to check it, but was rewarded with a white-hot pain that made his vision blur and another cry to escape his throat. Okay, so yes, definitely dislocated.

Remembering the heavy weight on top of him, Keith looked down at him to see if Lance was injured, but was greeted by angry, magenta-filled eyes boring into him. Instinctually, he clutched the schematics in his uninjured hand tighter, but then realized his other hand was empty. At some point, he’d dropped his Bayard.  

Still intent on his mission, Lance got to his feet with some difficulty, then grabbed at the top of Keith’s arms and hoisted him up to his feet with a strength Keith hardly could believe was Lance’s own. This movement made Keith feel like the tendons on his shoulder were being ripped apart and he bit back another groan.

Making fast work of him, Lance used his momentum to throw Keith up against the cliff’s wall and pinned him still. The pain from Keith’s shoulder after colliding with the rock was so intense that for a moment he was blinded and he couldn’t stifle the dry sob that escaped him. While he was distracted, Lance tore off Keith’s helmet with his free hand.

“Lance. Lance, listen to me,” Keith said, his voice strained.

In response, he felt a hand leave his injured shoulder and then the warm barrel of Lance’s Bayard under one side of his jaw.

Keith’s breath caught in his throat and panic rose in his chest; Lance was going to kill him.  

If only Keith hadn’t taken them so close to the edge, then maybe this wouldn’t have happened. His mission was ending before he even got to the important part.

_“Pidge, your entire plan hinges on Acxa, or Corina, or whatever, shooting Lotor at the exact right time. What if he just kills Lance on the spot? What if he doesn’t even give us a chance to negotiate?” Keith had asked back at the castle. The others were far more on board with the plan, but all Keith could see were the holes and potential failures._

_“He won’t, Keith,” Pidge started, pushing up her glasses on the bridge of her nose. “He wants the schematics as badly as we want Lance. He’s not going to give up a chance to negotiate.”_

_“Pidge is right. I really think this could work,” Allura said, voice steady and calm._

_“Can we even trust her? She’s attacked us before!”_

_“And she also helped you,” Matt said, his eyebrows knitted. “If the Director trusts in her then so can we.”_

_“Fine, let’s assume we can trust Acxa,” Keith said, crossing his arms, “I’m not the one who should be going after Lance. Hunk or Shiro would be--”_

_“Keith. We’ve been through this. You can snap him out of it, I know you can,” Shiro said, his voice genuine._

_“Yeah, dude. You almost got him out of it last time and uh,” Hunk started, scratching at his chin with a coy expression, “Lance did track in middle school and I, y’know, definitely didn’t, so you’re the only one fast enough to actually keep up with him.”_

_“Thanks,” Keith said, his tone flat._

_“What Hunk is_ trying _to say is that you’re the best person for the job and we all believe in you,” Shiro said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Keith looked up at him and seeing the sincerity in his eyes, let out a defeated sigh._

_“Okay,” he conceded. He still worried about it; he was never very good with people and emotions, but if they all thought he was the right person for the job, then he’d humor them. “Alright, so I go off running, Lotor sends Lance after me because he thinks I’ll be soft on him, then what?”_

_Pidge once again perked up. “Once Acxa disarms Lotor, it’s going to be chaos, so I was thinking we--”_

_“I’ll be the one to fight Lotor.”_

_The sudden interruption made them all snap their heads up to see Allura looking at them with a fierce, determined expression._

_“Allura, isn’t that a little--”_

_“I’ll be the one to fight Lotor,” she repeated, cutting Hunk off. “I’ll attack him as soon as he orders Lance to go after the schematics. Matt and Pidge, I want you both to focus your efforts on Narti. It’s important that we keep both Narti and Lotor distracted and away from each other. Acxa will likely join the fight at some point as well, so Shiro, Hunk--I want you two to be the last line of defense. Don’t let any of Lotor’s generals pass you. We want to give Keith as much time as possible to break Lance free from the spell. Is that understood?”_

_There was a certain finality and authority in Allura’s voice that made it impossible to oppose her, so they all nodded._

_And just like that, they had a plan._

It was all going so well too. Lotor had fallen right into their trap, Acxa had disarmed him at just the right moment (though she had Keith going there for a minute), and Lotor had sent Lance after him--it was perfect.

Except that Keith had made himself vulnerable and Lance was going to kill him. Lance was going to kill him and the last thing he was ever going to see was Lance snarling at him with bared teeth and magenta-misted eyes.

But as Lance pressed the blaster harder into his jugular, Keith realized something--Lance wasn’t shooting. Why? He had Keith right where he wanted him; all it would take was a quick flick of his finger and Keith would be done for, but Lance just stood there staring, pinning Keith to the wall, and holding the blaster to Keith’s face, a small tremble going through him.

 _Maybe the distance is working_ , Keith thought and hope flooded him anew. _Maybe Lance is holding himself back again._

Realizing he was wasting time feeling sorry for himself, Keith made to move his free hand to Lance’s wrist that held his Bayard. The movement was excruciating and slow, but Keith reminded himself how much pain Lance was in as he tried to stop himself from killing Keith, so he powered through it. His hand trembled and his jaw clamped, but eventually, his hand gently clasped Lance’s wrist.

The contact made Lance’s eyes go wide and his eyebrows float upwards. Keith took that as a good sign.

“Lance,” he said, he voice shaky from the pain, “Lance, I know you don’t want to hurt me and I know you’re fighting as hard as you can, but you’ve got to keep going.”

The words seemed to make Lance shake a little more violently and his Bayard to press harder into Keith, but Keith, taking his own advice, kept going.

“You can do it, Lance. I know you can. You could have shot me at any time, but you haven’t. You’re…” Keith said, searching for the words even though they escaped him. “You’re protecting me. Because that’s what you do, Lance. You protect people. You threw yourself in front of a bomb for Coran, you protected Hunk when you were ordered to kill him, and you’re protecting me now.”

Lance was practically vibrating now and Keith knew, from somewhere deep down, Lance, the _real_ Lance, was listening. Keith gripped Lance’s wrist a little tighter and his voice hushed into something softer, something more intimate. If Keith really thought about Lance, he was someone who moved from the heart, a person who listened to their emotions before logic, so that’s what Keith had to appeal to.

“I know it’s only been a little over a week since you were taken, but the castle feels so empty without you there. It’s quiet and nobody is smiling...everyone misses you. Pidge basically hasn’t slept because she’s been working so hard to figure out a way to get you back. Coran’s barely talking. Allura’s trying to be strong, but we can all see how worried she is. She barely touches her food goo. And Hunk--man, Lance, Hunk couldn’t stop crying when you got captured and he actually got super mad at me, so you would have loved that…”

Keith paused and found his thumb massaging against Lance’s wrist which was lowering ever so slightly. There was a softer expression on Lance’s face now--his lips had relaxed from the previous scowl and his eyes were still wide. Heart thundering in his chest, Keith licked his lips and took a deep breath.

“And I miss you,” Keith said, his voice almost a whisper. “Sorry if that’s weird, or whatever, but it’s true. When you got captured, it was like...it was like...I don’t know, like the ground came out from beneath me or something. Like I didn’t have solid footing on anything anymore and I think I realized how much I--I don’t know--I depend on you. And I let you down. It was my fault you got captured and I’m sorry, Lance. I’m really sorry. You’re protecting me, but I couldn’t protect you.”

Once Keith got started, it was hard for him to stop and he briefly wondered if he had revealed too much, saying things he hadn’t quite admitted to himself yet, but he couldn’t worry about that now--not when the smoke in Lance’s eyes was wavering ever so slightly.

“Please, Lance. You’ve got to come back. We need you and not just for Voltron, but because you’re...important to us. I…” Keith said, getting himself caught on his own words. He wasn’t usually this open, this vulnerable, and he rarely ever spoke for so long. It was scary.

But Keith looked at Lance--really looked at him. His skin was dark and warm with spatterings of friendly freckles, a defined jawline, a nose that turned up slightly at its end, and he had expressive dark blue eyes that were now hidden behind a screen of purple smoke. It was a face that Keith had grown so comfortable and familiar with that it made something in him ache to see it distorted by a spell. He remembered all the times Lance challenged him, called him out, but he also remembered the softer moments--how Lance had comforted him when Shiro disappeared, how he convinced him to fly the Black Lion even when it must have hurt to do so, how he smiled gently when he told Keith they were a good team.

It all came flooding into Keith mind in a flash and he knew it was only fair that he did absolutely everything he could to help Lance now, no matter how scary or hard it was for him personally. He needed to be honest.

“I know the feeling probably isn’t mutual but you’re one of my best friends and I just--” Keith started and felt his heart sink to his stomach because he _never_ planned on telling Lance that, but he had too. He’d say anything if it meant breaking the spell.

With renewed purpose, took a deep breath and looked Lance straight in the eyes, his brow furrowed in determination.

 _“_ I just really want my best friend back, Lance.”

And for a moment, everything went still and quiet. Lance looked at him unflinchingly as the smoke wavered in his eyes.

Then, a Lion roared--loud and full-bodied.

There was a thud on the ground and a sharp inhale of breath as Keith felt the blaster leave his jaw and the hand on his uninjured shoulder slacken its grip.

Keith saw the smoke in Lance’s eyes slowly evaporate away and revealed the kind, familiar blue irises underneath. Keith’s breath hitched as Lance,  _Lance_ , looked at him for the first time in far too long and they were wide with both surprise and distress.

“ _Lance_ ,” Keith whispered, his heart filling with a fluttering feeling that made his throat tighten.

Hearing his name, Lance’s eyes widened further and his knees buckled underneath him, sending him kneeling on the Nalquodian soil. Keith dropped with him and Lance lightly grabbed onto to Keith’s biceps as his head hung low. Keith placed his hands onto Lance’s elbows to keep him steady, despite how much it hurt Keith’s shoulder.

“Lance? Are you okay? Lance?”

For a moment, Lance kept his head ducked, but after a couple beats he raised it to look at Keith. His face was contorted into a pained expression and his eyes were big, tired, and wet.  

“Keith,” he started, voice fragile, “I’m so sorry. I hurt you--I didn’t--I’m _so_ sorry.”

Tears were spilling out of his eyes now as his face filled with guilt and it made Keith incredibly and irrationally angry.

“You don’t have to apologize, Lance. For any of it! You were being controlled, why should you say sorry for that?”

Lance looked at him, something softer in his eyes now as tears stained his cheeks and his hands gripped Keith’s arms tighter. He looked so scared and overwhelmed and _young_ that Keith didn’t know what to do, but he knew what he wanted to do.

Taking the chance, Keith took his good arm and wrapped it around Lance’s shoulder, crushing him against own uninjured one. Gently, he moved up his bad arm so it rested around Lance’s other shoulder in a careful hug.

At first, Lance went very still, his breath catching in his throat and Keith worried that he had done the wrong thing when, slowly, Lance melted against him and tentatively wrapped his own arms around Keith’s middle. His forehead lightly rested on Keith’s good shoulder and soon, he began to shake with quiet sobs that sent an awful ache through Keith’s chest.

Still not used to the whole “comforting” thing, Keith racked his brain for something to say, to somehow make this a little better.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Keith said, remembering how his dad used to calm him whenever he hurt himself as a kid. “It’s...going to be okay.”

The words made Lance clutch Keith tighter and his breathing started to even out from sobs to sniffles.

Gently, he pulled away, his gaze fixated on the ground as he wiped his nose noisily against his sleeve.

“Sorry,” he said, drying his face with his hands.

“You don’t...have to apologize,” Keith said, unsure of how to comfort him once again. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.”

“Okay, we have to go help the others. Can you stand?” Keith asked, getting his mind focused back on the mission.

Lance wiped away a couple more stray tears and gave Keith a brave look. “Yeah, but I think hurt my leg when we fell though.”

“You can lean on me then,” Keith said and Lance nodded in response.

Keith carefully stood, doing his best not to jostle his dislocated shoulder and offered Lance his good hand. Lance took it and got up, but not without a sharp hiss and his face contorting in pain.

“Yeah. Yup. Definitely hurt my leg. Oh, wow. Okay,” Lance said before letting out another groan.

“Here,” Keith said, opening his arm to Lance. “Just watch out for my other shoulder. I think I dislocated it.”

“Okay.”

Gently, Lance wrapped an arm around Keith’s neck and gave him some of his own weight, and Keith held him steady.

Slowly, they made for their fallen Bayards and Keith’s discarded helmet, when something in the sky caught Keith’s eye.

“Red!” Lance shouted and an actual smile found its way onto his face. “She came for us!”

Keith had never been so happy to see Red. “It must have been her who roared.”

As if on cue, Red landed right in front of them and opened her jaws in greeting and something about Red’s presence suddenly made the situation real--Keith had gotten Lance back and he couldn’t stop the small smile that turned up his lips.

“You ready to go home?” He asked tilting his head to see Lance’s face.

At this, Lance’s face softened into the same smile he gave Keith after they had defeated Sendak, the one that had convinced Keith their relationship had changed forever.

“Keith, buddy, you have no idea.”

* * *

Hunk thanked the stars a hundred times over for being paired up with Shiro, because this Galra? The one that was about eight-feet-tall with fluffy ears? Yeah, she was terrifying.

Luckily, Shiro was an incredible warrior and between his unrelenting short-range attacks and Hunk’s calculated long-ranged ones, they had worn her down significantly.

Her stamina was something to be admired, however, as she continued to hold her ground against them both, snarling and sending out jeers meant to distract. Still, her movements were definitely slowing and Hunk was pretty sure they would be able to capture her soon.

Shiro made another lunge for her--Galra hand glowing purple--and she tried to side step him, but wasn’t fast enough. His Galra hand caught her shoulder and she screamed as it quickly burned through her armor to her...flesh? Fur? Reacting to the pain, she grabbed Shiro’s arm and with a swing of her mighty body, threw him like he was a frisbee. Shiro went flying through the air, then tumbled to the ground with a groan.

“Shiro!” Hunk called out and sent several blasts of his Bayard her way. Most of them missed, but one hit her right in the diaphragm as she was turning her attention back to Hunk and pushed her with so much force she fell flat on her back with an “OOF”.

Shiro righted himself and then flanked Hunk as the Galra grunted and started to pick herself back up. When she did, she narrowed her eyes and bared her teeth at them both and fanned out her fingers to display her menacing claws. Hunk gulped.

Their fight was poised to begin anew when a loud roar filled the sky, making everyone pause and look towards the castle ship. After several long moments, the roar was followed by a flash of red in the sky and Hunk gasped.

“It’s the Red Lion!” he said and a million questions flooded his mind at once. Did it mean Lance was free of the spell? Or was Lance in danger? Or was it responding to Keith? And if that were the case, was Keith in danger?

Hunk didn’t get a chance to wonder for long, as his thoughts were interrupted by a cry in the distance.

“Generals!” Lotor said from a compromised position on the ground where Allura loomed over him with--wait, were those _swords_? “Back to the ship immediately!”

Allura, not wanting to let him get away, lifted her swords to cut Lotor down, but an unnoticed projectile stopped her as it tore through the air and hit her helmet point-blank, causing her to fall.

“Allura!” Shiro and Hunk cried at once. Hunk’s heart dropped to the floor and cold fear tingled his skin as he looked back at the general, knowing they’d have to get through her first. He was proven wrong when she began looking around and backing up until she finally took off in a sprint. Hunk was ready to run after her, but Shiro stopped him.

“Let them go!” he shouted, just as much to Pidge, Matt, and Acxa as to Hunk. “We have what we want. Let’s quit while we’re ahead.”

Obeying Shiro’s orders, Hunk watched as the tall Galra scooped up the faceless one with a tail and the reddish-pink one helped Lotor onto his feet. As the Galra rushed to their ship, Hunk took off running to where Allura had fallen, the others close behind him.

She was already pushing herself up off the ground when Hunk got to her. He let out a sigh of relief as he knelt down beside her, the wind from the ship’s take-off billowing all around them.

“Allura, you okay?” he asked observing her helmet which was dented and cracked in parts.

She took it off and shook her head free of it, but the motion made her wince and her hand floated to touch her neck. “Yes, I’m alright. I was just careless. I was so intent on not letting Lotor get away that I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings.”

“We’ll get him next time, Princess,” Shiro said and Allura nodded.

“Is your neck okay?” Pidge asked.

“Yes, just a strain. Nothing a few dobashes in the cryopod--” Allura cut herself with a gasp and pointed to the sky. “ _Look!_ ”

Following Allura’s finger, the five of them turned around and watched as the Red Lion hovered in the sky, seemingly watching Lotor’s ship get away and then snapped it’s head to look at them.

Hunk quickly helped Allura get back up on her feet as the Red Lion descended towards them and he fixed his gaze on it with a small prayer repeating in his head.

_Please. Please let them both be okay._

* * *

 Together, Keith and Lance hobbled up Red’s ramp after Keith grabbed his helmet and both of their Bayards from where they had fallen. Now that the adrenaline and quintessence had worn off, every step sent shooting pain to Lance’s hip joint and made him hiss through his teeth. Leaning on Keith helped, but he still had to put weight on the leg and it was starting to make him feel light-headed.

“You doin’ okay?” Keith asked, his violet eyes looking at Lance with soft concern.

“What, this?” Lance said, taking another step. “This ain’t nothing.”

“You look like you’re about to pass out.”

“I’m _fine_ , Keith. More than fine, I’m awesome.”

And he was. Yeah, it felt like his leg was trying to detach itself from his hip and all of his muscles felt like they’d been lightly burned, but he’d never felt so good. Walking freely in an open space, the Red Lion there to greet them, and a warm body kindly holding him up--Lance was riding sky high. So much so that he was starting to worry it was a dream, but he decided he was probably in too much pain to be dreaming.

He second-guessed himself, however, as they stepped into Red’s warm cockpit and Lance’s mind was suddenly filled with a rush of affection and relief.

“Aw, Red, I missed you too, buddy. Thanks for coming to get us,” Lance said and among all the happy, sweet feelings, Lance also sensed some guilt. “Hey, don’t worry. I know you would have come sooner if you could. It’s alright now.”

Red sent another wave of fondness his way and it almost got Lance crying again, but he held it together. Slowly, Keith helped Lance into the pilot seat and Lance melted into it immediately with a sigh; it was the most comfortable thing he’d sat on in so long.

Lance reached for the controls and smiled. “Good to be back.”

“Good to have you back,” Keith said, leaning over Lance’s pilot chair, his voice low and sincere. Lance had made a concerted effort to be nice to Keith since they had...well, _a moment_ , but Keith being so nice was somewhat jarring and it made Lance’s heart rate pick-up a little.

 _Must be triggering my fight-or-flight response or something_ , he mused.

“The others should be fighting Lotor and his generals right now, we should go help.”

At that, Lance brightened and began lifting Red into the air. “Oh, now you’re talkin’. I’ve been wanting give that purple sleazeball a sucker punch to the jaw for forever.”

With an amused smile, Keith scoffed. “I’ll hold him down for you.”

Lance flashed Keith a quick smirk and navigated the Red Lion over the wall of the cliff. As soon as the horizon became visible, Lance saw Lotor’s ship kicking off the ground and heading into the atmosphere.

“He’s getting away!” Lance said, already about to kick Red’s boosters into high gear, but a tentative touch on his shoulder gave him pause.

“Wait, Lance.”

“What, are you kidding me right now? _You’re_ really gonna tell me to cool my jets? _You?_ ”

Keith frowned and rolled his eyes. “ _Yes._ I tried chasing after that ship in Black and wasn’t even close to a match for it. I don’t think even Red could catch up when he has a head start like that.”

God, when did Keith, of all people, start to sound reasonable? Lance looked away from him with his face knit in a glare. After everything, Lance could think of little else he wanted more than to crush that ship, that _prison_ , like it was an aluminum can in a trash compactor. He felt the grip on his shoulder tighten.

“I know you want to take him down, Lance,” Keith said, voice even. “I do too, believe me. But I think there’s a couple people who want to see you first.”

Lance looked up at Keith and saw that he was looking down out the window with a small smile on his face.

Lance followed his gaze and found six people all looking up at him with rapt attention amongst the startling royal blue color of the planet’s soil. Lance’s heart started racing and a lump formed in his throat.

And suddenly, his thoughts of revenge were forgotten.

Lance drifted the Red Lion down gently to the ground, a little bit away from the team and Red lowered her head to let them out.

“Here, help me up, Keith!” Lance said, cursing his injured leg and frustrated he couldn’t just run out of the cockpit himself. Luckily, Keith obeyed without a fuss and they started their shakey dissent out of the cockpit with Lance’s skin prickling in anticipation.

Once they got to the ramp, Lance could see them all waiting outside with their helmets taken off and huge smiles on their faces; and Lance lost his patience.

He started clambering down the ramp in a half-run with his arm still wrapped around Keith’s neck, desperate to get to the rest of them as fast he could.

And Hunk, _Hunk_ , was running too, tears already cascading down his face like symmetrical waterfalls, and called out his name.

“ _Lance!_ ”

Upon hearing his name, water started forming in his own eyes and he didn’t bother to try and keep them at bay.

Then, Keith and Lance met the ground and as soon as they did, Lance took back his arm and started to run-limp to Hunk. The pain was awful, but he didn’t care--he just didn’t care.

He didn’t have to keep this up for long, though, as Hunk had gotten to him quickly and enveloped him in a bear hug to end all bear hugs. Hunk embraced him tightly around his middle and Lance held on just as tight around Hunk’s shoulders.

“ _I’m sorry_ ,” Lance started, his voice already breaking and his tears flowing. “I’m so so so so so sorry! I didn’t want to hurt you. I tried everything, but I couldn’t stop! I’m so sorry, Hunk.”

Hunk only squeezed him tighter. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, Lance. You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, I should be _thanking_ you. If you hadn’t fought back as hard as you did, I’d be weblum meat right now. I’m just glad you’re safe, dude.”

Lance’s chest tightened and he buried his head in Hunk’s shoulder, too choked up to talk properly, but he was able to get out a small, “I missed you so much.”

A part of Lance always knew he couldn’t really be blamed for what he had done under the spell, but there was also a part of him that felt unfathomably guilty. Keith had told him as much, but hearing Hunk say it wasn’t his fault was healing in a way he couldn’t believe. It was like he was _really_ free now.

“I missed you too, buddy,” Hunk said, his voice thick with emotion.

“We all did.”

Lance snapped his head up at the voice and saw Allura standing close with a sweet smile and eyes glossed over in tears.

“Allura!” Lance said, before separating from Hunk and pulling her into a crushing hug. She let out a small, happy laugh and returned the embrace just as eagerly.

“Hello, Lance.”

“Hi,” Lance said through a sniffle.

“It’s so good to see you safe.”

“It’s so good to see you. Period.”

They seperated with big smiles on their faces and as soon as they did, Lance was attacked by a small force aimed right at his waist. He quickly looked down to see a mop of dirty blonde hair and realized it was Pidge clinging to him like a Koala on a tree.

She looked up at him with her big amber eyes and Lance saw that they were flooded with tears.

“You jerk! We were worried!” she said with a shaken voice and Lance laughed. He smiled down at her and wrapped his arms around her slight shoulders with a tight squeeze.

“Sorry, ‘bout that.”

“Yeah, well, don’t let it happen again,” she said, sniffling.

“Lance!” said a warm voice and Lance lifted his head to see Shiro approaching him with a joyful grin. Pidge moved aside to let him in and Shiro put his human hand on Lance’s head to give his hair a good ruffle, then brought him in for a hug. “The rest of the team told me everything you did. I’m really proud of you and I’m really glad you’re okay.”

The sentiment sent a whole new wave of tears to Lance’s ducts and he almost had to laugh at it all. He was so happy, so filled with joy and love that he thought he might burst with it.

Shiro let him go, his hand lingering on Lance’s shoulder with a small shake, and Lance found seven sets of eyes on him--two belonging to Acxa and a boy he had never seen before both standing respectfully back so Lance could have his reunions and the rest to the other Paladins.

Lance smiled at them all, wiping away his tears with little laughs and his eyes sought out Keith. They found him quickly as Keith was already looking at him with a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth and Lance gave him a big grin in a silent “thank you”. Lance wasn’t exactly sure if he was thanking him for getting him free of Lotor’s spell or for making him land Red, but it didn’t matter. He was just grateful and as Keith’s smile grew more defined, Lance was pretty sure he got the message.

“Hey, you know what I think this party needs?” Hunk asked, tears finally drying.

Pidge looked up at him and cocked her head to one side. “What?”

“A group hug!” And to illustrate his point, Hunk buried Lance in another hug, and within seconds, Lance was squished between several more warm bodies. The suddenness of the attack made him laugh out loud and a couple more tears gathered at the corner of his eyes.

Then, as Lance was surrounded by his closest friends, Lance realized how thankful he was for them and how much he loved them. They’d been through so much and done so many things together, that they were no longer just his friends--they were his family.

And finally, Lance was with his family.

And finally, Lance was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it! Our boy is back home, but there's still a lot more story to tell. That slow burn's gonna pick up here in a min ;)
> 
> Just some ending notes while I got you here:  
> 1.) This fic got some lovely fan art of possessed!Lance [here](https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgjylz9jY-n/?taken-by=accidentally.an.artist) by accidentally.an.artist! It's so lovely, thank you! And if y'all ever feel like drawing something from this fic please link me so I can feature it in the notes!  
> 2.) While I was gone I wrote two Klance one-shots! Check them out: [Hogwarts AU](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13923108) | [Soulmate AU](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14473866)  
> As always, kudos and comments are highly encouraged and appreciated! Thanks for sticking with this story for so long fam :)
> 
> Links: [Tumblr](http://thunder-dor.tumblr.com/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thieflance)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotor is upset, a bonding moment, and Lance settles back into life at the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first off, MY APOLOGIES!! The *show's* updated twice since I last did smh. I never meant for this to go on hiatus for five months, but between moving, JuLance, Lancito, Extrasolar, various trips, two gift fics, and my new multichap, I got behind! But, if you're someone who has been gracious enough to be invested in this story—1. thank you! and 2. don't worry! I'm not gonna abandon this fic ever. I'm making some stiff deadlines for my fics and I don't ever plan on leaving this baby that long again. Next time Dark Blue should update (according to my calendar) is early December and plan to have the whole thing complete by April (god willing). So, yeah! This was my first Klance fic and will probably be my last, and once it's done I'll be taking my own writing more seriously. Anyway, that's the plan. 
> 
> General notes:  
> 1\. This chapter is about 11k.  
> 2\. No real content warnings for this one.  
> 3\. As always, huge heckin' thank you to [Emma](http://riptidelance.tumblr.com/) for beta-ing. I can't stress enough how much she helps me smooth out the creases in these chapters, so everybody say thank you miss emma!!  
> 4\. Reminder I'm only paying attention to canon up to s3. I'm going to be taking some influences from future seasons, but there will be no dead gays from me thank you very much! I don't think I'll be able to incorporate Krolia or Sam, unfortunately, though. Canon sucks anyway so my city now!  
> 5\. Last but not least, THANK YOU!!! During the hiatus this fic hit 1k kudos and 21k hits! That really means so much to me, thanks y'all :')
> 
> Sorry for always writing novels in my opening notes, but I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Dark Blue**

_Chapter 11_

Lotor knew—in the long run—smashing one of his blasters against the nearest wall wasn’t going to help the matter, but in the moment, he couldn’t bring himself to care.

The collision caused the blaster to fire and a jet of light zipped through the command deck, grazing the tip of Zethrid’s ear.

Zethrid yowled in pain as Ezor and Narti cowered beside her. The sight of it set off another wave of white-hot anger through Lotor—not only were his subordinates useless, they were _spineless_.

“You were worthless! You were all _worthless_!” he yelled, his voice a deep, dangerous growl that had all of them flinching. “I would have left you all there to rot if I didn’t think you’d give me up immediately to save your own pathetic lives.”

“Lotor, we would never—” Ezor started, but he cut her off with a dramatic swipe of his hand.

“Silence!” he said, the anger bubbling and burning underneath his skin like lava in a volcano that was about to erupt. “Acxa would have said the same and look where trusting her got me. How can I be sure you’re not all traitors? Why shouldn’t I kill you all right now?”

Worse than losing Lance as his pawn and worse than losing the final schematic, Lotor was most offended by Acxa’s betrayal. He had trusted her. Truly trusted her. And what did he have to show for it? Injuries that would take vargas to heal and internal scars that would never truly go away.

Lotor was slow to trust anyone and Acxa was the perfect example. She had completely blindsided him somehow. She was always so faithful, so loyal, always doing as he wished and making insightful suggestions that seemed sincere.

And yet it had all been a ruse.

Lotor looked at his three remaining generals, all of them in terrified, defensive stances and snarled at them.

“Well, how can I be sure?!” Ezor and Zethrid shared a look—equal parts confusion and fear—and looked back at Lotor, answerless.

Lotor grabbed Narti’s forgotten helmet from her workstation and threw it with all his might against the adjacent wall. The helmet clattered fantastically against the wall and then crashed onto the floor.

“Lotor!” Zethrid pleaded. Lotor whipped around to face her directly, teeth barred, and he felt a swell of pride that he could make even her, brutish as she was, wince in fear. “We’re loyal! If I had any idea Acxa was a mole I would have crushed her with nothing but my _fists_.”

At the mention of Acxa, Ezor scowled deep before looking Lotor dead in the eyes. “We’re _nothing_ like her. I know what you’ve done for me, for all of us. The Galra empire left us for dead because we had mixed blood, but _you_ pulled us out of the gutter. I will never forget that, Lotor, and I will _never_ forgive Acxa for betraying us.” Ezor’s eyes dropped and narrowed as she intensely studied the ground, her hands gripped tight at her sides. “Betraying me.”

A heavy silence filled the command deck at Ezor’s unexpected speech and it calmed the storm that raged inside of Lotor ever since they escaped Nalquod. Ezor was so somber and serious, so unlike herself, that Lotor was inclined to believe her. She was angry. Almost as much as he was.

 _I can use that_ , he thought, ever resourceful.

The distraction gave Lotor enough time to breathe, to _think_. He hadn’t gotten that luxury since they landed on Nalquod, so now, in the sudden silence, he started to sober up.

Lotor took a deep breath and straightened his spine, now feeling a little embarrassed at his rampage. He turned away from his generals, leaving them in silent anticipation as he stared out to the stars. He squinted at them as his senses returned and his mind started calculating the best course of action again.

He still had two sets of schematics. Sure, they were the most useful, the most powerful, with all three present, but there was undoubtedly much to learn from the ones they had acquired. He already sent what they had to his contact on Arctiel and the engineers there were making breakthroughs in their weaponry designs. Lotor might not have been able to make his own version of Voltron, but all was certainly not lost.

Even more useful, he had the Paladins’ _weakness_. Earthlings were sentimental creatures, of that much Lotor was certain, and it was an easily exploitable characteristic. He had seen it over and over again with how desperately Lance fought against his spell, fought to keep his friends safe, _and_ how the rest of them risked life and limb to get their Red Paladin back. If they were so reckless over just one of their own kind, they’d be absolutely mindless over their entire planet.

He wasn’t out of this game yet.

But he wasn’t ready now, either. He needed time to regroup, to gather his resources once again and when the time was right, he would strike and make the Paladins and their allies feel the full force of the Galra’s might.

Watching the pain on Acxa and Allura’s faces would be the most enjoyable of them all.

He needed to be patient, however. The Paladins had outwitted him and that was inexcusable on his part. He would be cautious going forward, only acting when he was sure his plan was airtight.

 _Good_ , he thought. _You have your next steps_.

He turned back to his generals, addressing the first item on his list immediately as he glowered down at all three of them.

“Let me be perfectly clear—” he started, all of them flinching at his voice, “if I suspect, even for the minutest of moments, you will betray me, I will have you killed. There will be no trial or chance for you to defend yourself; there will only be swift, _painful_ action on my part. My mercy has cost me greatly in this past movement and I will not be repeating my past mistakes. Is that clear?”

Wary at first, his generals eventually stood at full attention and gave the Galra salute. “Yes, Prince Lotor!”

Lotor studied all of their faces—Narti’s nearly unreadable and Ezor and Zethrid’s both hard with a mix of determination and a pinch of fear—and decided he would trust them. For now.

“Good,” he said, sitting in his captain’s seat. “Now get to your stations and set a course for Arctiel. We have work to do.”  

* * *

 

Keith hated the healing pods.

Well, _hate_ was a strong word as the pods have saved all of their lives on countless occasions, but he did genuinely hate the sensation Coran called “sleep chamber knees”. Keith’s entire body felt weak and boneless after coming out of a Cryopod and he hated how vulnerable it left him.

Vulnerable...in every sense of the word.

Because, of course, the first stupid thing to leave Keith’s mouth when he fell out of the Cryopod and into Hunk’s arms was, “Lance?”

No one teased him for it, luckily, but when he realized what he said he blushed so hard he felt like his blood was trying to escape through his pores. It was one thing to come out of a healing pod calling out your comrade’s name after you just saved him, but it was quite another to do that and _then_ turn as red as said comrade’s Lion.

The rest of them were all gracious enough not to comment on that either as Allura kindly placed a gentle hand on his (now _re_ located) shoulder. She looked in the direction of the other Cryopod with a small smile and Keith followed her gaze.

There, surrounded by the soft teal light of Altean technology, was Lance in a healing pod. A healing pod that was in the _castle_. He was safe.

The tension and worry Keith harbored from half-believing Lance’s rescue was all a cryosleep-induced dream melted away as he sighed, leaning against Hunk for support.

 _He’s okay_ , Keith thought. _He’s safe._

He didn’t realize it right away, but he was grinning—big and wide and rare for him. He hadn’t felt this light since...well, since Lance was captured. They were all together again and there was little else that could make Keith happier.

But dread was quick to claim him again as Keith got the distinct impression Lance wasn’t coming out any time soon.

His voice betrayed him as he looked at Allura and asked, “Why isn’t he out? What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s _fine_ , Keith. Your injuries were minor. You only had to go a couple Vargas in the Cryopod. Lance’s injuries...well, they were more severe. He just needs more time,” Allura said, calm and even, but sympathetic.

“How were they more severe? We _both_ fell off a cliff.”

Allura shook her head. “No, the physical injuries you both sustained from your fall were of equal measure, but I’m afraid Lance suffered damage to his nervous system from being exposed to large quantities of Quintessence for such long periods of time. If we hadn’t gotten to him when we did, he might have lost feeling in his sensory nerves for good.” Keith must have made a horrible face because Allura quickly amended herself. “But we got to him in time! He’ll make a full recovery, don’t worry. Coran and I believe he’ll be out by the end of this quintant’s cycle or the beginning of the next.”

_Late tonight or early tomorrow…_

Okay, that wasn’t too bad. Keith could deal with that.

“And everyone else?” Keith asked looking around the room and catching eyes with the whole team and...Acxa. Momentarily, Keith’s fight-or-flight response kicked in at the sight of her, but he calmed down as he remembered she had helped them, that she was a mole for an organization working on their side. It would be difficult, but he was going to have to get used to her presence now. “Is everyone okay?”

Hunk gave Keith a gentle nudge. “Yeah, man. I mean, Allura needed a good Varga in the Cryopod after she kicked Lotor’s purple butt, but other than that, you and Lance got the worst of it. We’re all safe, dude.”

Again, Keith face stretched into a relieved grin. He couldn’t believe their luck; after everything they’d been through, after all the friends that had been taken away, they were _together_ again.

It was a miracle.

For the rest of the day, Keith was under strict orders to take it easy—no running drills on the training deck, no running after Lotor, and no furious plotting to catch him. Shiro was adamant that they all needed to rest, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. The past phoeb or so had been brutal for all of them and even Keith couldn’t deny it was catching up to him.

 _“We can’t defend the universe if we don’t take care of ourselves,”_ Shiro had said when Keith tried to protest. Keith’s lack of will to fight him on it only further proved Shiro’s point. Keith was exhausted. His body ached and his chest was almost permanently tense from stress. He hadn’t noticed in all the chaos, but Shiro was right—defending the universe had taken its toll.

Still, Keith was a restless person so sitting down and reading a book while Lotor was god knows where was out of the question. After he was ejected from the Cryopod, he got himself a meal and took a nap, but when he woke up he was already jittery and itching for something to do. He found Shiro first and had a lengthy discussion with him about what happened while he was captured and subsequently rescued, but that only burned a varga. He took to pacing down long lengths of castle hallway to clear his head, but of course, his brain wouldn’t allow him that and his mind drifted to Lotor once again.  

He tried to stop, tried to let himself have a break, but he couldn’t help but worry that every minute, every _second_ they let Lotor roam free was just another second he had to wreak havoc on the universe. And it was only _Voltron_ that could stop him. Taking a break felt frivolous when so much was at stake. The _universe_ was counting on them. How could they afford breaks?

A crushing, heavy weight resettled itself in Keith’s chest. He was the Black Paladin now; this was his responsibility.

Keith’s aimless wandering led him to back to the med bay and whether that was some subconscious decision or just an accident, he wasn’t sure. As the doors whirred open, he was surprised that the room was so dark. Usually, it was bright with the white, fluorescent castle lights, but now the only light sources were the dim glow from the teal accents around the room and the white light that emitted from the one activated Cryopod.

Standing in front of it, hands at his hips and studying its occupant, was Hunk.

He turned when he heard the doors open and smiled sweetly when he saw Keith. “Hey, dude.”

“Hunk? What are you doing?” Keith asked, stepping into the room.

“Standing guard. Lance could come out of the pod any minute so, y’know, wanna make sure he doesn’t fall flat on his face and break his nose,” Hunk said, his voice hushed.

Keith smiled. “Yeah, don’t think he’d be a big fan of that.”

“Oh yeah, anything that could compromise his pretty face is a no go.”

This punched some laughter out of the both of them and they cleansed the air with light, bubbling giggles. It reminded Keith how much he genuinely liked Hunk, how easy he was to be around, and how glad he was to have a friend like him—someone who could make you laugh, even when the weight of the universe felt like it was crashing down around you.

They stood in silence for a little while, both staring at Lance as he slept peacefully beyond the glass and it made Keith wonder if Hunk had turned off the lights so Lance could sleep more soundly.

Hunk broke the silence first, his voice low, as if speaking at a normal volume would wake Lance. “Hey, Keith?”

“Hm?”

“Look, I wanted...I wanted to say thank you.”

“For what?”

“For keeping your promise.”

Keith blinked at Hunk, not quite understanding. “What do you mean?”

Hunk gave Keith another warm, understanding smile. Sometimes, it felt like Hunk was made of the sun itself when he looked at people like that.

“You promised you would get Lance back and you did. So, thank you.”

“I didn’t—you don’t have to—”

“C’mon, man. I know how far you went for him. We can all see how much you care, so _thanks_. I don’t know if we would have ever got him back if it wasn’t for you.”

“That’s not—” Keith stammered, the skin on the back of his neck hot, “I was only doing what anyone else would have.”

“Boy, you really can’t take a compliment, huh? Just say ‘you’re welcome’ or ‘no problem’ or something.”

Keith sighed. “No problem.”

Hunk smiled again and even in the dark, it was blinding. Keith understood why Hunk and Lance were such good friends—there was something similar about them. They were open and honest, warm and full of infectious smiles; the kind of people that were the opposite of Keith. Suns where he was a moon.

“Man, I really missed that guy,” Hunk said, his small, powerful smile back on Lance now.

“Me too,” Keith admitted. “It hasn’t been the same without him.”

“He’s sneaky that way. He’s just one of those people. You don’t think he’s gonna be a major part of your life and then _bam!_ Can’t imagine your life without him. Like, he’s just someone who makes you feel like you’re home. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”

“No, I—I think I know what you mean,” Keith said, voice even quieter than Hunk’s because in reality, he knew _exactly_ what Hunk meant. Lance’s voice was something Keith had grown so accustomed to that the past week or so without him was jarring. He kept _looking_ for him in all the places he should’ve been but wasn’t. Whenever the team had gathered on the bridge, Keith hesitated starting a briefing because they weren’t all there—the room was too quiet, too monochromatic without Lance. It was clearer and more unsettling than the single blue crayon missing from your 8 count Crayola box. It just wasn’t _right_. Incomplete.

But now, Lance was back. Shiro was back. Their set of colors was whole again and they no longer had to draw oceans out of greens and purples.

Keith was yanked from his thoughts when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder. Keith looked back to Hunk, whose face was still lit with peace and kindness. “You missed him.”

It was a statement, not a question, and Keith’s ears turned pink.

“I—we all did.”

“Yeah. But you’re the only one that I’m surprised by.”

“What? Why?”

“I don’t know. I just always kind of thought Lance annoyed you. I mean, doesn’t he?”

_No—_

“Yeah, he does. The whole rivalry and stuff is dumb, but it’s not like I don’t want him _safe_.”

_Not at all—_

“Well, yeah. I get that, but hoping someone is safe isn’t the same as _missing_ them.”

_He’s not annoying—_

“I—I don’t know what you want me to say. He’s—we’re—”

_Friends—_

“What?”

“A team. So, yes—I mean, _of course_ , I missed him. He’s—”

 _Funny. Kind. Sincere. Someone who makes me feel_ lighter—

“Yeah?”

“An important part of Voltron.”

_That’s not it—_

Hunk tilted his head and quirked an eyebrow at Keith, unimpressed. “That’s true, but I don’t know, man. Do you _like_ him?”

_Yes—_

“You’re asking me if I _like_ him?”

_A lot—_

“Is it a hard question?”

_No, it’s easy—_

“I like all of you. We’re...we’re friends, right?”

_Too easy—_

“Yeah, man. ‘Course,” Hunk said, but he had a look in his eye, like he just figured something out and Keith _hated_ that look. “Sorry, wasn’t trying to interrogate you. I was just curious.”

“It’s...fine. I don’t care.”

“Sure,” Hunk said easily with no obvious signs of sarcasm, but Keith, paranoid as he was, felt it was hidden somewhere in the subtext. Before Keith could spiral further in his own thoughts, Hunk stretched his arms up high above his head and yawned a big, infectious yawn. “I’m kinda beat, dude. Do you think you could take over my shift for a bit while I get some shut eye?”   

Keith blinked at him. “Wait, you want me to what?”

“Just hang out and catch Lance if he wakes up. I’ve been here for like four vargas already.”

“Oh, right. Yeah.” Keith scratched the back of him neck, his fingers tangling in his hair. “Uh, sure. Yeah, that’s...fine. You go sleep.”

Hunk let out a relieved sigh. “Phew, thanks. I’m dead on my feet right now. I’ll set an alarm and come relieve you in a couple vargas. Sound good?”

“Yeah. Fine.”

But it wasn’t fine. Because Keith had a sneaking suspicion Hunk wasn’t nearly as tired as he was trying to let on. He watched as Hunk headed for the doors, some bug fidgeting around in the base of his stomach.

“Great! Appreciate it, man. Take it easy. Don’t fall asleep on the job!”

“I’m not gonna—”

The doors shut behind Hunk, leaving Keith alone with Lance.

“Fall asleep on the job…”

Keith sighed and wondered exactly how he managed to get himself saddled with this job. It meant sitting idly by for hours and if there was anything Keith hated, it was sitting idly by.

 _Nothing to be done about it_.

He settled himself near the control panel and leaned against it, his lower back pressed to the paneling and his arms crossed in front of him. It gave him a front row seat to a sleeping Lance and he quickly averted his gaze to the ground, not wanting to invade Lance’s privacy. He needed to stay alert to catch Lance when the Cryopod eventually let him out, but there was something too intimate about watching him sleep in a dimly lit room by himself.

Several minutes went by as Keith studied his own shoes with the gentle hum of the machinery the only sound to underscore the med bay. For a while, Keith worried over Hunk’s knowing looks and the implications in his tone, like he had pieced together a puzzle. Did he suspect something?

_He has no reason to suspect anything because there’s nothing to suspect._

_Sure there is—_

_There’s not! I just...don’t know how to talk about Lance sometimes, since he isn’t my biggest fan or whatever._

The second voice in Keith’s mind quieted at that. That was always the question wasn’t it? How did Lance feel about him?

It was a question that had rolled around in Keith’s brain since the last time he saw Lance in a Cryopod and when he conveniently forgot their bonding moment from the night before. Keith was never great at reading people, but ever since then, he’s _really_ had no idea where he stood with Lance.

Keith broke his silent vow to keep his eyes locked on the floor and lifted his head to study Lance. He was standing tall, the soft light of the Cryopod’s interior gently lighting and contouring his face, making him look like a marble statue of a deity. His face was serene and peaceful, but void of the usual mirth that was so quintessentially _Lance_ that it almost didn’t look like him at all. Almost…

Without the mask of his bravado, Keith could see a lot of details in Lance’s face that he’d previously missed. For instance, he never realized how long his dark lashes were or just how many freckles sprinkled along the bridge of his nose. His lips, usually pulled tight in a smile or puffed in a pout, seemed fuller when they just rested on his face, relaxed. Keith’s heart stuttered for a moment before he diverted to Lance’s chest, which was, admittedly, a terrible idea. Lance’s usual clothes made him look lanky and skinny, but the Cryopod bodysuit made his chest and shoulders look broad and Keith thought he must have been a swimmer back on Earth.

 _Stop_.

Keith looked back down at the floor, his face heating. It was incredible how quickly these thoughts invaded and fought to surface in his mind. Lance had only been back with them for less than half-a-quintant and already Keith was—

He shut his eyes.

He was glad Lance was back. He was glad Lance was back and his eyes kept wanting to stare because they wanted to be reassured he was real. Nothing else.

Nothing else.

And apparently, they were desperate to be reassured again as they floated up to gaze at Lance’s figure again.

A part of him gave up and indulged in the sight of a safe and free Lance. It really was good seeing him again. Keith meant everything he said at the base of the cliff—he really did feel more grounded when Lance was around.

Keith’s entire body tensed as he remembered what he told Lance right before the spell broke. Blood rushed to his cheeks as he recalled saying things like “I miss you” and “I depend on you” and “ _best friend_ ”. Keith winced at himself and buried his face in a hand with a groan. He didn’t regret what he said, since _something_ he said must have gotten through to Lance, but it didn’t stop him from being a little mortified. He’d said...a lot of things.

Lance had clutched him tight and quietly cried into his shoulder and Keith dared to hope it was sign enough that Lance hadn’t minded Keith’s speech, that he trusted him. But Keith wasn’t sure about that either; it wouldn’t the first time he thought their relationship had reached true, mutual friendship, only to be proven wrong.

_You’re thinking too much._

When it came to Lance, Keith was always thinking too much or not at all, which was, frankly, terrifying—for reasons he was absolutely _not_ going to dissect.

He didn’t get the chance to prove himself wrong as his line of thinking was cut short by a low hissing noise in front of him. He immediately perked up, letting his arms fall from his chest, as Lance’s Cryopod opened to release a puff of cold air. Lance, no longer obscured by the glass, seemed to glow as he tipped forward, his eyes cracking open. His fall felt like it was in slow motion—gentle and light—but Keith was fast and caught Lance in his arms easily. He was cold at first, the suit and his skin both thawing from the Crypod’s treatment. Lance made little rousing noises low in his throat—like he was being unfairly woken for school and just wanted five more minutes—and clutched onto the arms of Keith’s jacket. Keith held him tighter.

Lance blinked rapidly and when his eyes finally opened, they went wide as he took in his surroundings with doe-like innocence. He looked at Keith last and his eyebrows shot to his hairline as he studied Keith’s face.

“Keith?” Lance asked, cautiously.

“Um, yeah?”

Lance didn’t answer. Instead, his hand lifted and set course for Keith’s cheek. Keith sucked in a breath as Lance made contact. Lance’s eyes were set in hard concentration as he—

As he pinched Keith’s cheek so hard he yelped.

“What the heck was that?!” Keith yelled, letting Lance go and placing a hand over his affronted cheek.

Lance stumbled back, a little uneasily, and stared at Keith. He was _beaming_. His smile was so big and so bright, Keith almost forgot the stinging pain in his cheek altogether.

“You’re _real_.”

“Uh, yeah. Why?”

Keith instantly regretted the question because it made Lance’s dazzling smile fade.

“Kind of thought I was dreaming.”

Keith’s heart sank, but then flew to his throat. “You thought you were dreaming? About me?”

“About being in the _castle_ ,” Lance scoffed, possibly a little pink in the ears. “Don’t flatter yourself, hot shot.”

Okay, yeah, he had that coming and the ensuing pang of disappointment that came with it.

“Did you really have to _attack_ me? Couldn’t have just...I don’t know, _asked_?”

“What good would that have done? If you were a dream you would have just said you weren’t a dream!”

“But then why pinch _me_?! Aren’t you supposed to pinch yourself?”

“That’s dumb. If I pinched you, I had a fifty-fifty chance of you being real and it hurting, but if I pinch myself I have like, a 100% chance of hurting myself. Just math, dude.”

Keith glared at him with what could only be described as friendly indignation. “So you were totally okay sacrificing my cheek over yours then?”

“Hey, man, these cheeks,” Lance said, pointing to his face with both thumbs, “just got out of a Cryopod. They’re fragile.”

Keith bit his lip to deny Lance the satisfaction of seeing him smile. “The fact that you _just_ got out of a Crypod is the only reason I’m not getting my revenge. Yet.”

“My, how chivalrous of you—” Lance started but was cut off when his knees buckled beneath him and he nearly fell. Keith, instincts sharp, caught him by the arm before his knees hit the ground and helped Lance stand straight again.

“Whoa, you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m okay. Just got a little...ambitious. My legs feel like jelly.”

“Okay, well let’s…” Keith trailed off, looking around the med bay for a place Lance could get his bearings. He found it on the north wall where there was a large viewing window with an adjacent handrail. Keith wrapped Lance’s arm around his neck and carefully led him over to the small viewing deck.

When they got there, Lance peeled off of Keith and he braced both hands against the handrail, his breath a little labored.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Keith said, leaning his lower back against the rail and crossing his arms, his back to the stars. He turned his head to watch Lance, to make sure he was okay, but he got more than he bargained for when he saw Lance’s radiant smile returning as he looked out into the sea of stars.

“Man…”

“Everything okay?”

Lance turned his head to shine his smile directly at Keith’s and Keith almost had to wince. Lance always did look best when he smiled. “ _Dude_ , I’m...I don’t even know. Like, I can’t tell you how good it is to be back here. Part of me thought…”

Lance grew somber and his eyes no longer met Keith’s. His shoulders slumped and again, Keith cursed himself for asking a question that made the sun set on an otherwise sunny Lance.

Not wanting to be selfish, Keith probed him further. “Thought what?”

“Just...I mean, y’know, things start looking bad there for a minute and you just kind of imagine the worst.”

Keith nodded. He had those kind of thoughts plenty while Lance was gone—thoughts that it was a real possibility they might never get Lance back, might never see him again. Keith wasn't surprised Lance had those thoughts too, after all he'd been through.

A heavy stone dropped in Keith’s stomach at the image.

“But you’re here,” Keith offered, soft and gentle, and he prayed it wasn’t the wrong thing to say. Lance’s lips twitched at the corners and he took that as a win.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m here.”

“We’re uh, we’re really glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks,” Lance said, eyes and smile warm, but too soon, his face fell again as he studied Keith’s shoulder. “Hey, how’s your shoulder? Did it heal up okay?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. It’s fine. Shiro had to set it before I got in the Cryopod, which y’know, doesn’t feel great, but…” Keith shrugged. He was completely healed up now, so he couldn’t complain.

“I’m really sorry, Keith. Honestly. I never—”

“Lance,” Keith interrupted, already frustrated. “I know. We all know. _Nobody_ blames you. You didn’t injure my shoulder or shoot Hunk. Lotor did. None of that was on you. How many times will we have to say it?”

Lance blanched and swallowed thickly before shutting his eyes. “I know, I know. I don’t know how to describe it, but it just...I know it seems like it should be that simple, but it’s just _not_.”

Keith reached out and tentatively placed his hand on Lance’s shoulder. Lance opened his eyes to look at the hand and then up at Keith, something tired in his clear, blue irises.

“You...you can take your time, Lance. I guess it’s pretty natural for that feeling not to go away right away but...that’s okay. I mean, as long as you know _we_ don’t blame you, you can remind yourself until you—I don’t know—get the message? And we’ll be right there to tell you again. As many times as you need it. So…” Keith trailed off, his mouth dry and his thumb absentmindedly swiping along Lance’s shoulder blade as Lance stared at him. There was something fragile about the moment, like walking on a frozen lake that cracked under each step.

Keith worried he had said something wrong; Lance kept staring at him and wouldn’t move. Keith, too, couldn’t seem to will himself to move, even though it would probably be appropriate to remove his hand by now.

Eventually, Lance broke the moment with an easy, closed-lip smile and leaned further onto the railings, his forearms resting against them as he slouched. Keith took that as his cue to finally retract his hand. He rubbed his thumb along the inside of his palm and fingers, and marveled at how hot his hand felt.

Next to him, Lance let out an amused huff. “Should have made you team leader months ago. Pretty motivational speech, dude. Didn’t know you had it in you.”

Keith gave the same shoulder he previously comforted a good shove. “Why are you _always_ such a jerk?”

Lance grabbed his affronted shoulder, but laughed and Keith’s stomach flipped. He forgot how much he liked that sound.

“Can’t be too bad if you want to best friends with me, but whatever you say, chief,” Lance said, his smile set at maximum teasing.

Keith felt his entire face heat from the base of his neck to the tips of his ears while the rest of his body tensed.

“I—you—I didn’t—” Keith stammered, tripping over his tongue while Lance waggled his eyebrows at him. “You are! You are that bad!”

Lance let out another peal of boyish laughter, his smile wider and his eyes crinkled shut. It should have made Keith furious but it was such a happy sound, he was only charmed. And embarrassed. Extremely embarrassed.  

“You’re seriously making fun of me for that?” Keith asked, his voice getting a little higher.

Lance’s laughter quieted down as he wiped some stray tears from his eyes and gave Keith another 100-watt smile. “Only a little.”

That earned him a solid punch in the shoulder.

“ _Ow!_ Just got out of a Cryopod, remember?”

“You’ll live.”

Amusement never once leaving his face, Lance turned to mirror Keith’s position on the railing, but instead rested his weight on his forearms. He shrugged.

“Guess I could take on one more.”

Keith narrowed his eyes at Lance, confused at the change of subject. “One more what?”

“Best friend.”

Keith blinked.

“What?”

“I mean, you drive a hard bargain. See, _usually_ I wouldn’t ever consider being best friends with a guy who thinks a _mullet_ is an acceptable haircut in this day and age, but since you kind of saved my skin and gave me a pretty good pep talk, I think I can make an exception.”

“O-oh.”

“If the offer still stands,” Lance said, sheepish and tentative, “that is.”

He stared at Keith for a while and Keith just stared dumbly back. It took him a good few moments for Keith to realize Lance wanted an _answer_.

“Oh! Um, yeah, absolutely. It uh—it still stands…”

Lance’s eyes brightened as his full smile came back. Keith’s chest tightened.

“Cool, man.”

“Y-yeah.”

They wound up in another staring contest, this one gentler than the last as there was this, now-spoken, understanding between them and Keith’s chest swelled with a light, sweet feeling that made him inexplicably warm. He’d never had a real best friend before and with everything that happened since they formed Voltron, since the _Garrison_ , Keith was really glad it was Lance.

Keith, so full of the sweet feeling, was itching for an outlet to release all the swirling emotions inside of him, so he did the first thing that came to mind and gave Lance another swift jab in the shoulder.

“Hey! What the cheese was that for?!”

Keith shrugged. “Seemed like a best friend thing to do.”

Lance, holding onto his shoulder, gave Keith an incredulous look bordering on a stinkface.

“ _Dude_ , first of all, there’s a lot to unpack there and we’re gonna have a discussion on that later. Second of all, I thought we were having a certified bonding moment!”

“Well, that depends, _Lance_. Are you gonna remember this one?”

“Didn’t forget the first one!”

What.

“What?!”

Lance straightened and stretched his arms out wide before he rubbed circles on his stomach, heading towards the door. “Man! I am _hungry_. Think I’m gonna—”

“Oh, no you don’t!”

“—Head down to the kitchens—”

“I swear—”

“You shouldn’t swear, Keith.”

“ _Lance!_ ”

Lance turned around suddenly, nearly out the door with an infuriated Keith on his tail. He looked at Keith with a straight face and then looked at a spot somewhere above his head. His eyes widened in fear and his mouth gaped. He pointed to the spot he was staring at and yelled, “Keith! Watch out!”

Keith dove into action, grabbing his Bayard by his side and letting it transform into his sword before he turned to look behind him. He got into a defensive stance and scanned the area Lance had pointed to, but found nothing. His eyes roamed the larger area and still, nothing seemed out of place. He had no idea what Lance was going on about and—

_Oh._

Keith snapped his head back towards where Lance was, but by the time he did, Lance was out of the room and long gone.

* * *

 

When Lance got out of the med bay, he was disappointed to find the castle quiet and empty, figuring everyone was probably asleep except for Keith. He didn’t dwell on it much though as he was more than happy to wait a night’s sleep in a bed (an honest-to-god actual _bed_ ) to see them all. Stomach rumbling, Lance grabbed himself a bowl of food goo—which, by the way, almost tasted as good as mamá’s home cooking after the slop Lotor gave him—and went back to his room for the night.

Walking the halls back to his room was a cathartic experience. He knew he’d only been gone for a week and a half or so, but being taken prisoner made it feel like _months_ , so a part of him was surprised how easily he navigated the castle. Muscle memory kicked in and he drifted to his room, something warm and happy bubbling in his chest at how familiar and safe he felt. It was so, so, so good to be back.

His room was exactly how he left it—mostly clean but a little cluttered with all the small gifts and medals leaders had bestowed upon him after freeing their planet from Galra occupation. His bed wasn’t made—still messy with a tousled blanket and a pillowcase half off the pillow, just how it was after he woke up that morning before they headed to Gesperion. He smiled to himself, so filled to the brim with gratitude and _victory_ that his eyes glossed over from the strength of his emotions.

He took great pleasure in opening his closet and seeing his usual outfits, all still neatly hung up like he had never left at all. He rubbed the fabric of his favorite green hoodie between his fingers and he took an odd sort of comfort in the familiar feel of the fiber on his skin. He then reached for his blue pajamas and slowly peeled himself out of the Cryosuit.

 _Holy crow,_ he thought, left in just his boxers as a realization hit him. _I can take a_ shower _._

He hadn’t been allowed such a luxury on Lotor’s ship, being a prisoner and all, and the prospect of having a real, actual, steaming hot shower made his entire body tingle in excitement. He combed a hand through his hair and grimaced at the feel.

_Greasy._

He gave his armpit a tentative sniff, which, frankly, he should have known was a bad idea.

“Shower time, it is,” he mumbled to himself, practically skipping to his bathroom. He relished the fact that he had a _choice_ , how—if he wanted—he could have said no to the shower, waited for the morning, but he was deciding to shower _now_ , without any input from anyone else. He was _free_ and he’d never take that for granted again.

The shower was magic, just as he knew it would be. He made the water as hot as he could without burning his skin and just stood under the shower head, letting the water pour over him and relax his tight muscles. He took deep breaths, filling his lungs with the fresh steam and felt clean inside and out. He washed his hair and sang an old song his brother taught him on guitar when he was little, the bubblegum pink suds of the Altean shampoo dancing happily on his scalp.

He stayed in the shower until his fingers pruned, and with a heavy sigh he turned off the water. He dried off, delighting in how nice the towel felt on his clean skin and just how much lighter he felt after a good wash. It was like layers of tension and grime that had been piling on him were swept away in the drain, making him shiny and new.

Even putting on his pajamas was a heaven-sent experience. Were they _always_ that soft? He put on his Blue Lion slippers and wiggled his toes, smiling to himself at their plushness and frivolity.

Last but not least, he put on his clay mask, sighing as soon as the cool, green goop touched his skin. His pores were in an atrocious state—big and clogged—and he had a smattering of little blemishes starting to crop up in his t-zone. The Altean clay mask was a miracle worker, however, he was sure his face would be clear by morning.

He went through his normal bedtime routine, thoroughly drying his hair before tucking under the covers. He found Pidge’s headphones on his bedside table, along with her Gradient Player—a small music player with _literally_ every published song from Earth on it that still had juice thanks to Pidge cobbling together a makeshift charger for it—and slipped them on. He flicked through the endless selection for something calming to fall asleep to and settled on a pre-made playlist called _Soft Piano for the Soul_. A sweet, simple melody flooded into his ears and it felt like medicine, healing. He maneuvered his sleep mask onto his head and under the headphones and he took deep breath, relaxing his muscles against the sheet and pillow beneath him.

It had been so long since he’d gotten a proper night’s sleep; the concrete slab Lotor had provided in his cell was so uncomfortable, he was lucky he ever slept for two vargas straight. He was tired now, even after just coming out of a Cryopod, and more comfortable than he had been in weeks. He was so at peace, so happy and calm, with no looming threat keeping him on edge.

He slipped into sleep easily, serenely.

 

That was, until the nightmares started.

 

Lance woke up the next day with an aching headache and bags under his eyes. He had slept, and better than he had in Lotor’s cell, but he tossed and turned and woke up about four times throughout the night. He had seen some things—saw Lotor’s eyes boring down on his from above, saw himself unwillingly committing whatever atrocities his body was driven to do, saw Hunk getting shot, crumpling to the ground…

Lance shivered.

 _Just a bad dream,_ he thought, dismissing it. _You’re fine._

 

Lance washed his face (which looked _immaculate_ ) and dressed quickly (though he took his time putting on his veridian hoodie), eager to get to breakfast and see everyone now that he was fully healed. He was a little wary of Keith and hoped he wouldn’t bring up the whole bonding moment thing, but if he did, Lance would just evade it again. Maybe in another year he’d give Keith the whole story, but for now he was content to let him suffer.

His reception at breakfast was just as warm and welcoming as he hoped. They were all there—Paladins, Coran, a blonde boy that could only be Pidge’s brother—and when he made his entrance, everyone greeted him with bright smiles and choruses of his name.

“Morning, everybody!” Lance said, moving to the open seat next to Pidge. He was intercepted by a crushing hug from Hunk. “Oof! Good to see you too, big guy.”

“Hey, man! How ya feelin’? You hungry? You want some food goo? Stay right there, I’ll get you some food goo!” Hunk prattled before dashing off into the kitchen to get Lance a bowl. Lance laughed quietly to himself and took his seat.

“Hey, Lance. You’re looking better,” Shiro said, his smile soft.

Lance returned it. “Yeah, I’m _feelin’_ a lot better.”

“Did you sleep well?” Allura asked, looking up from her food goo with bright, shining eyes.

“Yeah, great!” he lied. Everyone seemed so happy and glad he was back, he didn’t want to bring down the mood.

“I’m so glad,” Allura continued. “I hope you don’t mind, Lance, but we were planning on having a briefing after breakfast. We want to act quickly so we can find Lotor and stop him and we want you there. Though, if you need some more time to—”

“I’ll be there.”

“Oh, are you sure? You can go at your own pace.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Lance said, smiling at her. Hearing Lotor’s name might have made something ugly churn in his stomach, but he wanted to pick up right where he left off as a Paladin of Voltron. He didn’t want the others coddling him. “Let’s get that purple jerk.”

Allura stared at him for a moment before she smiled and nodded, her expression pleased. “Of course,” she said and Lance gave her an appreciative grin.

“Lance!” Pidge said, tugging at his sleeve. “You haven’t met my brother. This is Matt.”

Matt, a taller, near clone of Pidge sat on her other side and Lance smiled again, happy that Pidge had found one of her family members. They both made their introductions and Pidge started rambling, telling her brother about the story behind Kaltenecker.

As she went on, Lance went back to his food goo, but not before he caught Keith’s eyes from across the table. Keith was staring, his eyes narrowed in hostility and clearly sending the message “oh, don’t think I’ve forgotten.”

Lance gave him a cheeky wink before stuffing a spoonful of food goo in his mouth. He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at Keith’s distraught, reddening face. Keith was way too easy to fluster and Lance, being obnoxious, couldn’t resist embarrassing him every chance he got.

 _Especially_ if that meant distracting Keith from certain topics.

 

They all finished their breakfast and headed to the bridge, but Hunk asked Lance to hang back and clean up the dishes with him. Lance whined about it, but agreed to drying the bowls after Hunk washed.

“Hey, dude, just want to give you a heads up, but uh…” Hunk started, handing Lance a rinsed bowl. Lance got the sneaking suspicion Hunk didn’t ask for his help _just_ for his help. “Acxa is gonna be the one leading the meeting. She’s kind of one of the good guys now. Well, I mean, she always was because she’s a mole working for the Rebellion, but she went undercover like deca-phoebs ago—it’s a long story, but I just wanted to make sure you knew that in case—”

“In case I couldn’t handle it?” Lance asked, putting away a bowl.

“What? No. Just in case you didn’t want to see her or something. I mean, she kinda helped capture you, so I just thought...you know, might be uh, _weird_ seeing her or something.”

“Oh.”

Lance hadn’t really thought about Acxa since he had been put in the Cryopod. He had gathered that she, for some reason, was allying herself with them when she shot at Lotor and came back with them, but he didn’t know any details.

Lance shrugged. “I mean, she saved my life, right?” he asked. “I’ll get over it.”

 

Once they finished, they headed to the bridge and Hunk filled Lance in on Acxa or _Corina_ as she was called by the Rebellion. Apparently, Pidge’s plan to save Lance had all hinged on Acxa betraying Lotor at the exact right moment, which, she _did_ as Lance was with them all now.

If Lance was honest, it was a bitter pill to swallow. He understood that she was undercover and she couldn’t do anything to compromise that cover, but he couldn’t ignore that faint flickering of resentment flaring up in his gut.

Because Hunk was right, she _had_ helped capture him. She helped hurt him too and helped him hurt his friends. He knew she was playing a long game, waiting for the right time to strike, but the logic wasn’t making him feel much better.

 _I’ll get over it_ , he repeated to himself. They might not be best buds right away, but Lance could at least be civil. He was good at that.  

 

When they reached the bridge, everyone else was already gathered—Allura, Coran, Keith, Pidge, and Shiro all formed a semi-circle around Acxa and Matt, making it obvious that they’d be the ones debriefing the others. Hunk and Lance stepped in line between Coran and Shiro and Lance crossed his arms, defensive.

Acxa caught Lance’s eyes as he joined the semi-circle and gave him a polite nod, which he returned, albeit a little coldly.

“Great, we’re all here,” Matt started, his chipper tone relieving some tension in the air. “Let’s get started.”

Acxa stepped forward, hands clasped behind her back and there was a twinge of irritation at the back of Lance’s neck. “I wanted to hold this briefing to press the urgency of our situation—we must, through our combined efforts, capture Lotor _immediately_.”

“Yeah, we got that,” Keith responded wryly, crossing his arms and Lance’s lips twitched in an almost smile, but he kept it together.

Acxa closed her eyes for a second and plowed forward, ever composed. “Whatever you think Lotor is capable of, let me assure you it is a thousand times worse. I’ve seen what he’s done first hand.” Lance’s jaw clenched and his nails dug crescent marks in his palms. Acxa wasn’t special; he had seen what Lotor had done first hand too. “What’s worse, Lotor has intimate information on all of you. He understands that you will do foolish things for your comrades, that you are ruled more by your emotions than your logic. He’s used it on you before and he will use it on you again.”

Lance straightened. Lotor had once come to him and played an audio recording of a private conversation between the team while he was still in his cell and he never did learn how Lotor accomplished this. He raised his hand in question and they all looked at him.

“Uh, do you know _how_ Lotor got this ‘intimate information’ on us? That seems important,” he said.

There was a long, strained silence as every set of eyes darted to look at another pair, all of them filled with pity and discomfort.

“Uh, guys?”

Allura took a step out of the circle, a fist gently pressed to her chest. “Lance, I’m so sorry. We—we haven’t gotten a chance to tell you…”

“Tell me _what_?” Lance asked, his heart rate picking up.

“The way Lotor was spying on us,” Keith started, his face twisted in grim disgust, “was through a clone—an android—of Shiro.”  

Lance shook his head and blinked rapidly. “Wait, _what_?”

The team shared pointed looks again (Shiro particularly uncomfortable) and Lance’s stomach coiled in dread; he hated being the only one uninformed, like an outsider.

It took some time, but the team took turns explaining what had happened—when Shiro had gone missing, he was found on a Galra-colonized planet and taken to a high security prison where his DNA and memories were taken to create an android. This android was released and then sent back to Voltron, where he fed Lotor and his generals vargas upon vargas of their activities and conversations. The android was destroyed on the same ship Lance shot Hunk and the _real_ Shiro only made an appearance again right when Keith had Lance pinned down at the Dalterion Belt, explaining why he had attacked Keith instead of helping him.

For Lance, the worst part of it was the weeks he spent trusting a Shiro that shouldn’t have been trusted. It made the coil of dread in Lance’s stomach tighten. There was a time Lance had gone to Shiro, had told him how inferior he felt compared to Keith, and it was clear now, Lotor had used that against him. Over and over again, Lotor seemed to know _just_ how to pick Lance apart and how to strike him where it hurt.

Because Lance gave him all the ammo he needed.

Lance always blamed himself for being captured—he was the one to suggest he snipe the sentries on Gesperion by himself and he was the one who couldn’t fight off Ezor—but now it hit him ten-fold. Lotor _targeted_ him. He had observed his weaknesses and picked him out specifically.

The coil in Lance’s stomach twisted so tight he thought he was going to be sick.

“Lance? Lance, are you alright?” Allura asked, voice thick with concern.

Lance nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. Just a lot to process.”

“We can take a break if—”

“It’s okay, Allura.” Lance looked to Acxa. “Keep going.”

Acxa stared at him, her face flat and unreadable, but she took a breath and continued. “The point I’m trying to make is Lotor has _resources_ and near-endless amounts. That, combined with the knowledge on how to manipulate you…”

“It’s real bad,” Matt finished.

“Thanks, Matt,” Shiro said, sarcastic.

Acxa cleared her throat, bringing the attention back on herself. “Lotor also has two of three schematics. As you know, their full secrets can’t be exposed unless all three are together, but there is _much_ Lotor and his engineers have learned from them. He’s currently building an arsenal of super-powered weapons and the more he builds, the more he develops—the worse it will be for the universe. Lotor likes to pretend he’s a more merciful ruler than his father, but that’s not true. If anything, he’s worse—cold and calculating, and using underhanded tricks to achieve his goals.”

“The urgency of his capture is not lost on us, Corina, but what do you propose we do about it?” Allura asked.

“You team up with the Rebellion!” Matt chimed in. “The Director wants to create an alliance with Voltron and converge our resources. Even with our combined efforts it’ll be a hard-fought battle, but it’ll be impossible if we don’t work together. I’ve kept in contact with her and she’s ready to meet you and negotiate as soon as you’re able, Princess Allura.”

“Uhh, negotiate? So, the Rebellion’s not gonna help for free?” Hunk asked.

“The Rebellion has a vast amount of operatives and resources at its disposal and it didn’t get that way by being overly generous with our intel. If the Director wants to ‘negotiate’, I assume it’s to insure you’re to be trusted,” Acxa said and Lance was having a hard time liking her.

“What’s more trustworthy than quiznacking _Voltron_?” Coran asked, scandalized.

“Coran,” Allura admonished, but she was clearly insulted as well.

“Look, I don’t know why the Director feels the need to ‘negotiate’ or whatever, but I _promise_ she has the universe’s best interests at heart,” Matt said, his voice genuine. “Everything she does, it’s to take the Galra down. I get how this comes off as kinda disrespectful, but there’s a reason for it, I promise.”

“Well, how can we be sure _the Rebellion_ is to be trusted? A few days ago, Acxa was trying to kill us, just like the rest of Lotor’s generals,” Keith said, eyes set in a glare at Acxa.

“I have done _more_ than enough to prove where my true allegiance lies, as has the Rebellion. Matt brought you back your Black Paladin and I,” Acxa said, staring back at Keith with ice in her irises, “gave you _numerous_ openings to get back your Red one. You could have had him back sooner if you had been more competent—”

“We could have gotten him back sooner if you would have kept him from being captured in the first place!”

“My _mission_ wasn’t to do your jobs for you—!”

“Enough!” Allura commanded, her voice ringing throughout the bridge. Everyone quieted and watched her, a heavy tension setting in the air. Allura closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, then lifted her head to meet Acxa’s gaze. “We will meet with the Director.”

“But, Princess—”

“That’s final, Keith. I understand what you’re saying, but Matt is right—we don’t stand a chance against Lotor without the help of the Rebellion. Building alliances has always been a cornerstone of Voltron’s mission and this is no different. At the very least, I will hear what the Director has to say. She provided us aid when we were in great need and I will not ignore that.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Acxa said with a shallow bow.

Matt smiled wide at Allura. “I’ll contact the Director right away. Are you okay with meeting at Phenlen? Traveling by wormhole is way faster than, well, anything.”

“That should be fine. We’ll leave at the Director’s word. Until then, everyone is dismissed and I highly suggest everyone use this time to rest. I imagine we won’t be getting much of that in the coming quintants,” Allura said, as she left the room, her words strong and final. Coran and Shiro followed her, while Pidge ran up to Matt, chatting with him excitedly.

“Once you send the message, I’ll show you Kaltenecker!”

“Oh, man. The cow?! Let’s go!”

The two of them dashed off to the exit with Hunk and Keith not far behind. Acxa seemed to hesitate, hovering around Allura’s station, looking a little unsure of what to do. Lance eyed her and the hairs on the back of his neck raised; he couldn’t look at her without remembering Lotor and all he’d done to him.

He thought of the Shiro android and how he had revealed his insecurities to it, how much that probably cost him. There was still a nagging question prickling in his mind and Acxa was the only one with an answer.

“Lance?” Keith asked, he and Hunk waiting at the door for him. “You coming?”

“Um, actually, I’m gonna hang back for a sec. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

Hunk and Keith shared a look and Hunk shrugged. “Alright, man. I’ll be in Yellow’s hangar if you want to hang out.”

“Sounds good, big guy.”

Hunk and Keith exited the bridge, leaving Lance and Acxa alone. She didn’t notice him at first as she had picked up an Altean tablet and was reading something off of it. Lance cleared his throat to get her attention and she looked up at him.

“Lance.”

“Uh, hey, Acxa—or Corina—”

“Either is fine.”

“Oh, cool, um... _Acxa_ , do you have a dobosh?” he asked, scratching the back of his head.

“I do. I was actually hoping I would get a chance to speak with you.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Though I don’t regret doing what I had to do to keep my cover, I am sorry for what happened to you and that I had to play a part in it. I want you to know it brought me no pleasure.”

“O-oh,” Lance said, fidgeting and unsure how to respond. He was wary of her and even now, speaking with her like an ally, he was on edge. He saw her as a villain so decisively that even being in the same room with her was setting off sirens in his mind, so it was difficult to _truly_ accept her half-apology.

Still, he tried to be understanding and was determined to be civil.

“Thanks for...saying that, I guess. I’m sure it was hard having to work with Lotor for so long.”

Acxa shrugged. “I did what I had to.”

“Yeah, you keep saying.”

There was a strained, awkward silence that went on for a beat too long until Acxa cleared her throat. “You wished to speak with me?”

“Right, yeah…” Lance shifted his weight from foot to foot, searching for the right words—anything to make him sound less pathetic. “I wanted to ask you something about Lotor.”

“I have strict orders about how much information I can give you.”

“Okay, well, I’m not—that’s fine. I’ll just ask.” Lance took a deep breath and made a point to meet Acxa’s eyes. “That day on Gesperion, when I was captured...was it _the plan_ to get me, specifically? Or was I just the easiest to get because I was alone?”

Acxa watched him, the even facade cracking just a bit to show some mild surprise in her features. Her brow furrowed and Lance’s chest tightened, cursing the torturous amount of time it took her to answer.

“You were alone on Gesperion because Lotor wanted you to be,” Acxa said and her voice—while not gentle—was gentler than it usually was.

There was a stone in Lance’s chest, scorching and heavy, that fell through to his stomach like his insides had turned to water.

Lance was targeted, purposefully separated from the pack, and picked off like he was a sickly gazelle eyed by hungry lionesses. In one small sentence, Acxa had confirmed all of Lance’s worst fears about himself—he _was_ the weakest of them all.

And their enemies recognized that.

“Lance?”

His name brought him back to the room and Acxa stared at him, a glint of concern in her eyes. He nodded and swallowed the emotion creeping in his throat.

“Why?” he asked, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

“‘Why’?”

“Why did he—” Lance stopped, the lump in his throat threatening to make his voice crack. He took a breath and didn’t speak until he knew he could do so evenly. “Why me?”

“Lance—”

“I need to know. You get that, right?”

For the first time, Acxa’s face was soft with real sympathy and Lance wished she’d go back to staring at him like he was a book to be read; that was easier, somehow. They both knew there was nothing she could say that wouldn’t hurt him, but Lance was resolved.

They entered another staring contest, Lance’s face tensed in determination until, eventually, she nodded.

“Based on some of the footage Kuron provided, Lotor believed that your feelings of inferiority to your team would make you the easiest to manipulate. He thought your lack of confidence showed a weak will, making you the most suitable for his mind control spell.”

It was matter-of-fact with no coddling—only brutal, sharp honesty. Lance was grateful for it; he wasn’t sure he could handle hearing all of this with a pitying voice and sentimental eyes.   

Lance’s gaze fell to the floor, his head swimming with the weight of what this all meant—what kind of liability this made him. He exhaled, the breath shaky and stuttered, but he raised his head and met Acxa’s eyes again.

“Thank you for telling me,” he said, and turned toward the door.

“He underestimated you.”

Lance looked over his shoulder, confused. “Huh?”

“He underestimated you,” Acxa repeated. “He didn’t account for how loyal you would be to Voltron and even when he edited the recording of your team speaking cruelly of you, you didn’t take the bait. It... _confused_ him. Frequently, you were frustrating. You fought back, didn’t follow orders precisely, got close to breaking free...you didn’t make his job easy, Lance.”

Lance’s eyebrows raised, skirting along his hairline as he stared at Acxa, a small smile creeping up along his lips. This speech was just as matter-of-fact as the former one and it made him believe her. It didn’t fix everything, but knowing he hadn’t been as easy to handle as Lotor thought he would be definitely lifted some weight off his aching chest.

“Thanks,” he said, sincere. Acxa gave him another wordless nod, her lips not quite set in a smile, but quirked up the littlest bit, like they were on the way to one. He turned back to the door and went into the hall, the automatic doors whirring shut behind him.  

He placed his hands in his jacket pockets, walking slow on his way to his room. It was incredible how less than an hour ago, he was happy and grateful to be back, and now? Now dread had settled heavy in his stomach like lead.

He had always known, always suspected, that out of the seven of them he was the weaker soldier—he was no genius like Coran, Hunk, or Pidge, no prodigy pilot like Keith or Shiro, and no princess with magical alien powers like Allura. When he looked at it that way, he honestly didn’t understand why Blue, and subsequently _Red_ ever chose him at all. If the last movement or so was anything to go by, he was a risk, not an asset, so why did he have a Lion at all?

A sharp pain stabbed at his chest. He had always believed his destiny lied in the stars and there was something deep and desperate in him that wanted to make sure that was true. But how could he when he wasn’t the hero in this story, but the damsel in distress instead?

Lance squeezed shut his eyes tight for a moment and thought of what Acxa had said. He was targeted for his feelings of inferiority, lacking confidence…

_This pity party you’re throwing yourself isn’t helping._

He made a noise low in his throat that was a mix between a growl and a hum.

It wasn’t enough that he recognized these weaknesses in himself, he had to address them. He didn’t want to keep being this way. Lance was sick of looking at everyone’s back, left in the dust; he wanted to stand _next_ to them as equals. He wanted to be a teammate they could be _proud_ of, not one they had to babysit.

With a new determination burning in his chest like a lighted torch had nestled itself in his ribcage, Lance headed for the training deck.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Links below—I added like, three more klance fics since I last updated this so I'd really appreciate it if you checked that out :') 
> 
> Per usual, I always really love hearing your thoughts! I've been getting a lot of comments lately and it's made it difficult to reply, but I always read them and I always get super happy when I get them! Thanks for reading!
> 
> Links: [Tumblr](http://thunder-dor.tumblr.com/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thieflance) | [caard](https://thieflance.carrd.co/) | [my klance fics](https://archiveofourown.org/works?utf8=%E2%9C%93&commit=Sort+and+Filter&work_search%5Bsort_column%5D=revised_at&work_search%5Brelationship_ids%5D%5B%5D=276512&work_search%5Bother_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bquery%5D=&work_search%5Blanguage_id%5D=&work_search%5Bcomplete%5D=0&user_id=Talking_Bird)


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